State Forest rangers recently came to the rescue of nine stranded kayakers on the rain-swollen, Battenkill River in Washington County.
Town of Jackson, Washington County
Swiftwater Rescue: “On June 22 at 4:02 p.m., DEC’s Ray Brook Dispatch received a call reporting nine kayakers stranded on the Battenkill River. All nine kayakers, ranging in age from late teens to early 30s, were paddling the river when the high-water levels and rapids became too much to handle and capsized their kayaks. Several kayakers were stranded on a nearby island, with some clinging to submerged trees and one subject floating downriver. Forest Rangers Logan Quinn, Charles Kabrehl, and Anthony Goetke responded with rafts and swiftwater rescue equipment. Shushan Fire Department’s Swiftwater Team also arrived and helped ferry the final kayakers to shore. All paddlers were treated on scene and released, and the rescue concluded at 5:52 p.m.”
