Stranded Canoeists Rescued Along Swollen St. Croix River
HUDSON, Wis. (WCCO) -- It was a scary outing for more than a dozen young women from a YMCA camp in Hudson, Wis., early Friday morning.
The campers were canoeing on the St. Croix River Thursday night when some of the canoes were swamped and the young women were stranded on the riverbank.
"We used hovercraft and boats to rescue these campers. It should be noted that it's a rather remote wilderness area. The riverbanks are not accessible by any roads," said Burnett County Chief Deputy Scott Burns.
The rescue took place about 80 miles northeast of the Twin Cities. He said only one of the 14 young women and two counselors received medical attention on site.
Deputy Burns had a message for others regarding recent rains and current river conditions.
"The river levels are extremely high. Currents are very fast. A lot of downed trees [are] obstructing the riverways. This creates a very dangerous situation, even for experienced canoeists," Burns said.
NewsRadio 830 WCCO's Steve Murphy Reports
