Around 7pm on Saturday, LCCRS was dispatched to Soggy Bottom Campground for a water-related incident. A group of individuals were floating the river behind the campground. Rain from storms that day  had caused a significant rise in the river, and they encountered fast moving water and debris, causing them to get overturned. 

One member was swept from the group and was unaccounted for. Members of their group returned to the river as well as other bystanders and took off searching for the missing person, both on foot and by kayak. 

Once units from LCCRS, Liberty FD, Dunnville VFD, Clementsville VFD, CCEMS, and CCSO secured the scene, it was determined we had conflicting stories of how many individuals were unaccounted for. 

Drone 1 was deployed for aerial coverage as well as a 4-man Swift Crew and Boat deployed and directed down river. About 1 hour from the initial call, all units and individuals were accounted for and were found safe and unharmed.

The boat crew covered about 2.6 miles of river downstream of campground; Drone 1 covered roughly 45 minutes of flight and numerous pictures to help preplan and prepare for future deployments. 

We would like to thank the owners of Soggy Bottom Campgrounds for their quick response and assistance in setting up our staging area. While this run ended the way we hope every run does, subjects were found unharmed, there are a few things we would like to remind the community about for safe water-related activities. With current temps and high humidity, water is the common attraction to beat the heat. Please remember to wear your life jacket, be aware of swift or quickly rising water, and when floating the river make sure others are aware of your float path. These reminders can make the difference in an enjoyable day or a tragic one.