By Jason Wesseldyk
Sports Editor
A day of fun on the Kalamazoo River took a harrowing turn for a group of kayakers on Thursday, Aug. 1.
A group of 25 kayakers—21 of them children—had to be rescued after multiple kayaks overturned in Otsego Township.
Allegan County Central Dispatch received a call regarding the kayakers at approximately 3 p.m., according to sergeant Bernard Austhof of the Allegan County Sheriff’s Office. The caller indicated that several kayaks had overturned and that the kayakers were in distress.
All 25 individuals involved were successfully rescued and no injuries were reported.
According to officials, the kayakers had launched from a local business as part of a group outing before they “ran into some trouble.”
Austhof praised the kayakers for taking the proper safety precautions.
“A significant contributing factor to this successful rescue was the fact that all participants were wearing their personal flotation devices,” Austhof said in a release.
Assisting the Sheriff’s Office was Allegan County Central Dispatch, the Allegan County dive and rescue team, the Allegan County marine patrol, the Otsego Police Department, the Otsego Fire Department, Plainwell EMS and the Pinegrove Fire Department.
