Search team rescues 4 along Kings River

The local Mennonite Disaster Services Search and Rescue team had a busy night Saturday, June 18, on the Kings River.

Ted Hostetler, a team leader for the search and rescue team, said there were two separate emergencies. The first, which happened around 7:30 p.m., involved an unresponsive female at the U.S. 62 access point near the Kings River bridge. The female was transported from the scene by helicopter.

Around two hours later, the rescue team was notified that four people had gone missing on the river in a canoe and kayak.

The rescue team launched an airboat off a gravel bar near Carroll County Road 215 and traveled 8.5 miles upriver before finding the two adults and two children “hunkered down” on a gravel bar.

“They were extremely glad to hear that airboat coming and extremely glad to get on solid ground where they knew whey were at,” Hostetler said.

The group was checked for injuries or other medical issues and none were found, Hostetler said.

Hostetler said the group had missed its takeout point on the river. He offered a word of advice for boaters who find themselves in a similar situation.

“If there’s a word of caution that I would put out, it’s that if you miss your takeout point on a river, it’s never a good idea to start walking across land to try to find your way out. They tried that for a little bit, but then they came back to the gravel bar and just waited there. They will be found on the river. But if you get out in the woods, you never know where you’re going to be.”