Rescuers Recover Five On Kalamazoo River Thursday Night

Five people had to be rescued from the Kalamazoo River in the Battle Creek area late Thursday night.

The Calhoun County Emergency Network says on their Facebook page that Emmett Township crews were called to the river near Paddlers Grove between Golden Ave. and Columbia Ave. just after 10pm Thursday; the callers said they were lost floating on the river.

The group stayed on the line with 911, and said they managed to grab on to a large tree or branch that was in the water, which prevented them from drifting further down stream. First responders activated their sirens at Paddlers Grove, and the group said they could hear them; eventually, first responders could also hear the yelling of the individuals, and through this they were able to get a general idea of where they were.

A boat was launched at Raymond Rd. by the rescuers, and they were eventually able to recover them and get them to safety. It's not clear what the group was doing on the river late at night.

According to the Calhoun County Consolidated Dispatch Authority, there were no reports of injuries due to this incident.