Near drownings in ONSR highlight importance of emergency closures

A trip on a local river almost turned tragic when a group of college students decided to ignore closures over the weekend.

Rangers with the Ozark National Scenic Riverways responded to an emergency call around 2 p.m. Saturday to a stretch of the Jacks Fork River about 15 minutes east of Mtn. View, near Blue Spring. It would be the first of three water rescues required over the weekend.

High water levels had closed that stretch of the river several days prior, said Christopher Figge, Jacks Fork district ranger.

Two people were in the water and five others were stranded, according to the report.

When Figge and other emergency responders arrived, they found a canoe bent completely in half, wrapped around a tree on the flooded river.

Two members of a group of college students from Rolla were still in cold, fast rushing water, about waist deep, Figge said.

Crews were able to retrieve the first person easily, but the second was trapped with a foot stuck in debris underwater.

Laying flat on the deck of the boat, Figge said, he was able to reach underwater with a knife and cut away the individual’s canvas shoe.

After retrieving the other members of the party, who were stranded at various areas of the banks, all members of the group were treated by medical personnel and released at the scene.

Each person received an $80 fine for violating the emergency closure.

At least three canoes and one kayak sank or were capsized in the incident.

The group had made it only a short distance from where they put in at Blue Spring before all of their vessels were in trouble, Figge said.

“I’ve worked drownings at that very spot during river closures. This one worked out because they were able to get a hold of us and we were able to get there in time,” he said.

The group had driven past a river closure sign in order to get to the area where they put in, he said.

“We’re doing it (closures) for their safety and for our own safety. There was probably 17 emergency responders down there risking their lives to help these people,” he said.

National Park Service workers responded to two additional water rescues Sunday and early Monday morning.

The first was around 9 p.m. on the Upper Current River, which was open. An experienced floater missed pulling out at Pulltite after launching at Round Spring, Figge said. Members of his party became concerned when he didn’t arrive.

Rescue workers found the 67-year-old safe on a bank about one mile from Pulltite.

The third rescue took place at about 2 a.m. Monday morning, at Harlow Ford. Three individuals were floating the Jacks Fork and also were unable to connect with other members of their party.

Crews found their inflated tubes about one mile apart on the banks of the river, before locating the individuals. They had hiked out and found shelter in a barn, he said.