WHITLEY COUNTY, Ky. (LEX News) — WILLIAMSBURG, Ky. — Three kayakers were safely rescued Sunday evening after becoming stranded in the swift waters of the Cumberland River in Whitley County.
According to Woodbine Fire & Rescue, emergency crews were dispatched around 7:24 p.m. on Aug. 16 after the Whitley County E-911 Center received reports of three people in distress on the river.
Officials said the kayakers had become overpowered by the river's current and were unable to paddle back upstream to the location where they originally entered the water. Dispatchers were able to obtain GPS coordinates from the group and relay that information to responding crews.
The kayakers were located between the First Street Boat Ramp in Williamsburg and the Croley Bend Boat Ramp.
Rescue crews launched Woodbine Fire & Rescue's Rescue One boat and deployed swift water rescue personnel to search for the group. When rescuers arrived, they found one person standing on a rock while the other two remained in the water, holding onto a broken tree while on paddle boards.
All three were quickly pulled to safety and transported back to the staging area. No injuries were reported.
Multiple agencies assisted with the rescue, including Williamsburg Fire Department, Goldbug Volunteer Fire Department, Whitley/Laurel County Emergency Management, Williamsburg Police Department, Whitley County Ambulance Service, Whitley County E-911 Center, and the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife.
Woodbine Fire & Rescue praised the coordinated effort among responding agencies, calling the incident another example of effective teamwork and communication during an emergency response.
Officials encourage anyone planning to spend time on local waterways to be aware of river conditions, wear a life jacket, and familiarize themselves with the area before heading out on the water.
