Thirty-three kayakers on Tennessee’s Nickajack Lake, some of them children, were rescued this week after getting stranded near a cave by high winds and choppy waters.
At 8:24 p.m. local time Monday, the Haletown Volunteer Fire Department responded at the lake, with assistance from the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency and the Marion County Sheriff’s Office, fire officials said in a Facebook post.
The kayakers had paddled to a shoreline near the cave and called for help after the wind sent some into the water, the TWRA told Chattanooga NBC affiliate WRCB. The agency helped ferry those being rescued after a rescue boat from the New Hope Fire Department capsized.
Wind gusts at the time were between 20 to 40 mph, according to WKRN-TV.
All 33 people in the tour group were rescued and there were no injuries, fire officials said. Eight of the people rescued were children, according to Chattanoogan.com.
The TWRA credits life jackets with ensuring no one was hurt.
“This is a great example of the importance of life jackets. With water temperatures in the mid to high 40s and high wind speeds, life jackets were a key safety factor,” TWRA Boating Officer David Holt told Chattanoogan.com.
• Brad Matthews can be reached at bmatthews@washingtontimes.com.
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