By Jason Wesseldyk
Sports Editor
GUN PLAIN TOWNSHIP—Authorities rescued a group of kayakers who were stranded on the Kalamazoo River in Gun Plain Township on Saturday, July 9.
One of the kayakers reportedly had a deep facial cut. That individual was taken to a Plainwell EMS transport vehicle by members of the Allegan County Sheriff’s Office Marine Division and was transported to a local hospital for treatment of non-life-threatening injuries.
According to the Plainwell Department of Public Safety, an emergency call indicated that several people in kayaks were stuck in the river. One person was reportedly hanging onto a log in the water.
Several agencies with water rescue equipment arrived at the scene to aid the Gun Plain Fire Department with the rescue effort.
Using the “What3Words” app, the Allegan County Central Dispatch was able to determine the exact location of the kayakers, as reported by the City of Plainwell.
“This weekend, numerous public safety agencies in Allegan County were dispatched to a rescue on the Kalamazoo River,” the city said in a statement. “Allegan County Central Dispatch, utilizing this new technology and the app, definitively pinpointed the kayakers’ location.”
The kayakers were located at a bend in the river near North 16th Street and West Baseline Road near the county line.
Rescue personnel from the Plainwell Department of Public Safety entered the river on 10th Street near West Baseline Road; Cooper Fire personnel entered at D Avenue; and the Allegan County Sheriff’s Department Marine Division entered near 8th Street and Industrial Parkway.
Authorities used ropes placed upstream and across from the kayakers to rescue the injured individual.
