Huron County deputies rescue kayakers

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Rescued kayaks brought ashore in Huron County

The following is a press release issued by Huron County Sheriff Kelly Hanson regarding two rescues made by his department during the Labor Day holiday weekend.

 

(HURON COUNTY) – Shortly after 4 p.m. Sunday afternoon, deputies were dispatched to the offshore area west of Sleeper State Park, where 4 males on an inflatable dingy were quickly being blown offshore by gusty southerly winds.

Responding on our patrol boats from Caseville and Port Austin, the 4 were located in their under-inflated craft, over 2.5 miles offshore, in 3 to 4 foot waves.

The distressed young men with a broken paddle from the Detroit area were brought aboard our 28-foot Caseville Patrol boat and their dingy was brought aboard our 31-foot Port Austin Patrol Boat and all taken back do the dock.

Deputies received shore assistance in this incident from Michigan Conservation Officers.

In the second rescue, deputies responded to our Port Austin Patrol Boat around 21:00 last night (6th), after receiving word that 5 kayakers had left Turnip Rock in the dark and were heading into southerly winds gusting over 35 miles an hour.

Information had also been received that one of the kayakers was totally exhausted and they were having a difficult time getting back in.

With the assistance of the Port Austin Police, at around 22:15, our deputies where directed to the kayakers, who are now north of the Port Austin breakwall.

The family of 5 from Taylor consisting of 6,10 and 14 year old children were all on tied together kayaks trying to make it in. The younger children were very cold, as everyone was dressed in swim gear and tired. A one person kayak was even occupied by a parent and child.

Fortunately all had life jackets.

All were then brought aboard our 31-foot patrol boat and taken to the state dock to be checked out by and waiting Central Huron Ambulance.

After warming up, all refused further treatment. Apparently it was their first trip out there and they decided to stay out late to get some sunset pictures.

The responding deputies in this incident will be conferring with the prosecutor’s office at some point this week to discuss charges ranging from reckless operation, to not being properly lighted to be operating at night, as well as too many people on a one-person kayak.