Marvin
UNION — Crew members with the Clayton, Englewood, Union Fire Collaborative rescued a woman from the Stillwater River Saturday afternoon after her kayak overturned approximately a half-mile north of the Old Springfield Road bridge.
Crews were dispatched shortly before 4:30 p.m. Butler Township Fire Department and the Huber Heights Fire Division also responded to assist as both have water rescue teams.
According to CEU Fire Collaborative Assistant Chief Zach Marvin, a husband and wife were kayaking south from West Milton when the woman’s kayak overturned in the current. She was separated from her kayak and grabbed onto a tree that had fallen into the river.
“At some point they got into some faster moving water and she flipped her kayak and ended up grabbing onto a tree that was in the middle of the river and from there called 911,” Marvin said. “Her husband couldn’t make it back to where she was and she couldn’t get back into the boat.”
Crews deployed boats from both the north and south sides of the river.
“We launched rescue boats from Old Springfield to go north and launched some boats from the north end to go south to try to converge on where she was, because they had a feeling she was in that area and that is where they found her,” Marvin noted.
Rescue personnel eventually located the woman and brought her ashore. The rescue lasted approximately two hours.
“They were evaluated by our medical personnel at the scene. They didn’t have any injuries and refused to be transported to the hospital,” Marvin said.
The CEU Fire Collaborative launched one its boats and Huber launched its boat during the rescue, according to Marvin.
The CEU Fire Collaborative has two boats available for use. One is associated with the Ohio Region Three Urban Search and Rescue Team that is maintained by the collaborative that can be used for local emergencies.
“We have trained personnel that are water rescue technicians,” Marvin added.
Reach Ron Nunnari at (937) 684-9124 or email [email protected].
