Kalamazoo Public Safety Rescue Stranded Kayaker

On Sunday, the Kalamazoo Department of Public Safety were called on a report of a woman whose kayak had been submerged and lodged in debris. She was stranded on a portion of the Kalamazoo River behind Mayor’s Riverfront Park. She was reportedly out of the water; however she was on a bank that was not accessible easily by land. The area she was in was surrounded by high walls and an abandoned train trestle.

Public Safety Officers assigned to Rescue 6 and Squad 6 were called to rescue the victim. Utilizing the Rescue Boat, the Officers were able to rescue the victim. The victim was then taken downriver to meet up with the rest of her family who were also kayaking on the Kalamazoo River. The victim was grateful for the rescue and had mentioned that all of her personal belongings (cell phone, wallet, and car keys) were still in the kayak that was 80% submerged.

During the beginning stages of retrieving the kayak and personal property, two citizens in canoes offered their assistance. They were able to dislodge the kayak and recover the personal property. The Kalamazoo Department of Public Safety graciously thanks these two anonymous citizens for assisting in the retrieval of the victim’s personal effects and kayak.