‘Disoriented’ kayaker clings to tree to escape raging river after capsizing, family says

Brooke Baitinger
·2 min read

A kayaker held onto tree branches along a raging river in Arizona as a rescue helicopter hovered overhead and prepared to hoist him up out of the violent waters, reports say.

The kayaker’s decision to wear a life jacket out on the Salt River that day may have saved his life, officials with the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office said on Facebook on Sunday, March 19.

“Great effort by (MCSO) personnel on this water rescue, which could have ended in tragedy,” officials said on Facebook. “The kayaker was wearing a life jacket, which played a huge role in a positive outcome.”

Two kayakers were near the Phone D Sutton recreational area when they became separated, and one capsized, authorities told ABC15.

The rescue happened just downstream from where an 81-year-old man fell off his kayak the day before and drowned, the news outlet reported.

The river’s waters were especially rough after Salt River Project released water from dams to prevent overflow due to excess snow runoff, heavy rains and monsoon season just a few months away, Fox10 reported.

In a comment on the sheriff’s office post, people who said they were family members of the kayaker thanked rescuers for saving his life. Someone who said she was the man’s sister elaborated on her brother’s scary experience in the river.

“His kayak capsized and he was struggling with the current,” his sister said. “He kept getting caught in the currents and going under water and was disoriented.”

The kayaker’s sister described how he was able to grab the tree trunk and climb up it to get away from the swift waters, and a couple walking by heard his screams for help.

“He was convinced he was going to die in those waters,” the commenter said.

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