Units respond to rescue calls on the Little Susitna River twice within a week

Recreational boaters on the Little Susitna River in the Houston area required a little help from responders to safely get back to shore during a pair of incidents within a seven-day span.

In both situations, the people were well prepared and practicing best practices for safe recreational boating, Houston Fire Department officials said.

The Houston Fire Department was dispatched with Emergency Medical Services, the Mat-Su Borough Water Rescue Team, and Alaska State Troopers about midnight on June 6 for a reported boating accident involving multiple victims on the Little Susitna River upstream of its Parks Highway bridge. On arrival, crews were able to determine that five adults from multiple boats had experienced an accident on a river bend, which resulted in all five people ending up in the river. According to the individuals, they were in the water for about 10 to 15 minutes before being able to get out of the river onto a sand bar. Once out of the water, they made a call for help and dried out while waiting for that help. Although very cold, there were no serious injuries and everybody was accounted for. While they waited for rescue, they warmed themselves up by starting a campfire with supplies they had on hand. By 2 a.m., all of the boaters were rescued from the sandbar and their boats recovered.

Houston firefighters were notified at about noon on June 13 that the Mat-Su Borough Water Rescue Team was headed to shore with a person that had been pulled out of the river. According to witnesses, several boaters engaged with the Susitna Rotary Club’s annual Little Su Classic river cleanup float on the Little Susitna River had come around a bend on the river and found a log jam directly in their path that wasn’t there the day before. Several boats found themselves caught in the snag including one kayak with a 10-year-old boy. That boy’s kayak ended up tipping and the boater fell into the river. Because he was wearing a properly sized personal flotation device, he was able to stay afloat easier and held onto a log while waiting for someone to help. The Water Rescue Team was on site within just a few minutes of the incident because they had been participating in the cleanup float as a safety crew. One of the water rescue teams who is also a member of the Houston Fire Department was able to pluck the young man from the river onto a boat after helping other boaters clear from the log jam, and the patient was transported about one-half mile to shore where he was assessed for hypothermia by an ambulance. Finding no serious injuries, the boater was released to family on site.

The bright sunshine recently can create a false sense of safety about the temperature, but the river is still extremely cold. Hypothermia can set in with just a few minutes of exposure, and both of these circumstances resulted in people in the water for around 10 to 15 minutes.

Houston Fire Department makes the following suggestions for everyone to bear in mind:

• Loneliness is deadly. All of these people had traveled in groups and although affected in the accident they were able to work as a group.

• Communication is key. Have a way to call for help. Both of these incidents had multiple people involved that were able to call for help. A phone call with a location-enabled cell phone provides GPS coordinates that 9-1-1 dispatch centers can use to direct crews to the location of emergencies even if you don’t know for sure where you are.

• Cold kills. Their first priority after getting out of the water is to call 911 and get warm. Have supplies to start a fire in case you get separated from your boat and have to wait for help.

• River rescues take time. Operation can take hours to complete when you consider locating and rescuing the people and recovering the involved watercraft. Patience is prudent.

• Always have properly fitted life jackets. Even the most experienced recreation enthusiast takes a spill now and then. Those life jackets help you swim and also help us find you quicker.

A few other tips:

• Always file a trip plan with a friend or family member. If you ever find yourself unable to call 911, it’s critical that someone knows where you are and when you’re supposed to be back.

• Never drink and boat.

• Keep your phone(s) or other communication devices in a waterproof container, and try to leave it in a container that will float if you tip over.