Two out-of-state kayakers were safely rescued Monday evening after spending more than an hour stranded in the Missisquoi River below the dam at the Sheldon Paper Mill.Both are unharmed, but officials are once again encouraging people to be careful after a string of recent drownings in Vermont waters.”This section was like nothing we had seen on the whole rest of the route,” said kayaker Daniel McCall.McCall and his cousin, Sean Brennan, were on a multi-day kayaking trip when the unimaginable happened.”We portaged around the dam here, and shortly after we put back in, there were some really intense rapids,” said McCall. “We both flipped over.”McCall said his shoe got caught in a rock, and he was temporarily stuck underwater. He was able to get his foot loose, swim to shore and call his family who made the 911 call.”I didn’t see my cousin for at least 5 or 10 minutes. So, I was really worried about him,” said McCall. “But I’m extremely happy to be alive and that my cousin’s alive as well.”Brennan swam to a rock after his kayak flipped, and he got trapped in between rapids.The Sheldon Fire Department said it received a 911 call at about 4:30 p.m. Colchester Technical Rescue was one of several emergency crews who rushed to help Brennan.”We were able to get a throwback to him, send him a life jacket, send him a helmet, sort of give him some directions,” said Michael Cannon, a member of the rescue team. “It was difficult for him to understand because of the moving water.”Cannon advised being cautious around any water after the rescue team recovered three bodies from the Lamoille River in the last week.”We had three deaths in just a couple of days on the Lamoille River. This is the Missisquoi River, not too far,” said Cannon. “The watersheds still have a fair amount of water in them from all the rain that we’ve had. So, it’s okay to recreate, but do it in pairs, make sure you’re familiar with the waterways, make sure you have a good ability to swim.”Now more than ever, officials are stressing the importance of taking proper swim lessons.”The difference between taking lessons and not, kind of the switch that flips in your brain, is huge,” said Galen Reese, Assistant Director of Aquatics at the Burlington YMCA. “Just in terms of being able to keep yourself above water and get to shore safely and quickly.”Reese encourages always wearing coastguard-approved life vests. But if you’re not, and you’re in conditions similar to McCall and Brennan, Reese said to not fight against the current.”It’s a lot easier to get to the short way down the river to shore instead of trying to fight back upriver back towards where you started,” said Reese.Reese, and other rescue officials, advise wearing bright colors that are easily visible in the water and having a designated water watcher.
Two out-of-state kayakers were safely rescued Monday evening after spending more than an hour stranded in the Missisquoi River below the dam at the Sheldon Paper Mill.
Both are unharmed, but officials are once again encouraging people to be careful after a string of recent drownings in Vermont waters.
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“This section was like nothing we had seen on the whole rest of the route,” said kayaker Daniel McCall.
McCall and his cousin, Sean Brennan, were on a multi-day kayaking trip when the unimaginable happened.
“We portaged around the dam here, and shortly after we put back in, there were some really intense rapids,” said McCall. “We both flipped over.”
McCall said his shoe got caught in a rock, and he was temporarily stuck underwater. He was able to get his foot loose, swim to shore and call his family who made the 911 call.
“I didn’t see my cousin for at least 5 or 10 minutes. So, I was really worried about him,” said McCall. “But I’m extremely happy to be alive and that my cousin’s alive as well.”
Brennan swam to a rock after his kayak flipped, and he got trapped in between rapids.
The Sheldon Fire Department said it received a 911 call at about 4:30 p.m. Colchester Technical Rescue was one of several emergency crews who rushed to help Brennan.
“We were able to get a throwback to him, send him a life jacket, send him a helmet, sort of give him some directions,” said Michael Cannon, a member of the rescue team. “It was difficult for him to understand because of the moving water.”
Cannon advised being cautious around any water after the rescue team recovered three bodies from the Lamoille River in the last week.
“We had three deaths in just a couple of days on the Lamoille River. This is the Missisquoi River, not too far,” said Cannon. “The watersheds still have a fair amount of water in them from all the rain that we’ve had. So, it’s okay to recreate, but do it in pairs, make sure you’re familiar with the waterways, make sure you have a good ability to swim.”
Now more than ever, officials are stressing the importance of taking proper swim lessons.
“The difference between taking lessons and not, kind of the switch that flips in your brain, is huge,” said Galen Reese, Assistant Director of Aquatics at the Burlington YMCA. “Just in terms of being able to keep yourself above water and get to shore safely and quickly.”
Reese encourages always wearing coastguard-approved life vests. But if you’re not, and you’re in conditions similar to McCall and Brennan, Reese said to not fight against the current.
“It’s a lot easier to get to the short way down the river to shore instead of trying to fight back upriver back towards where you started,” said Reese.
Reese, and other rescue officials, advise wearing bright colors that are easily visible in the water and having a designated water watcher.
