Two Kayakers Rescued on Obed Wild & Scenic River

The NPS is reporting this morning that on the evening of January 12th, rangers and Morgan County rescue squad members responded to a 911 call from a 28-year-old man who said that he and a 32-year-old companion had been kayaking from Obed Junction to Nemo on the Obed Wild & Scenic River when they experienced problems and became separated. The caller said that he was lost and cold and did not know where his friend was.

After locating the caller’s position with the help of Morgan County dispatch and the man’s cell phone, rangers paddled across the river at Canoe Hole and began looking for him, finding him around 10:30 p.m. Rangers escorted him back to the other side of the river, where the rescue squad was waiting to transport him to the ambulance.

Shortly after rangers began a ground search for the second man, a Tennessee Highway Patrol helicopter located him along the river downstream of Alley Ford. With the help of GPS coordinates and guidance provided by the crew onboard the helicopter, Obed and Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area rangers found him just after midnight.

Both men were suffering from exposure when found, but were treated and released by Morgan County Ambulance service.



Jeff
Hiking in the Smokies