Four people were rescued from atop a rock in the middle of the Yellow River in Gwinnett County after becoming trapped by rising water Saturday night, according to officials.
County fire crews were called to the Yellow River Park on Juhan Road just before 8:30 p.m. and spotted the four clinging to a rock abut 15 to 30 feet from the bank. Fire officials did not release any details about the victims but said they were in their mid-20s.
According to a news release from the fire department, the group told rescue crews they had been playing in the river when the water level suddenly began to rise and trapped them on the rock. Officials attributed the rise in water level to the recent rainfall.
First responders used a rescue throw bag with a rope to send personal flotation devices to the victims, fire officials said. Safety measures also were put in place both upstream and downstream from the swimmers.
Credit: Gwinnett County Fire and Emergency Services
Credit: Gwinnett County Fire and Emergency Services
Rising water levels made rescue crews concerned for the swimmers’ safety, officials said. After evaluating the river conditions and making sure the four had their life vests on, crews used the rope to guide them to shore one by one.
No injuries were reported, but the fire department emphasized the importance of wearing personal flotation devices like life vests when spending time in lakes, rivers and streams.
It was a dangerous weekend on Georgia waterways. Earlier Saturday, a 31-year-old man drowned after he and another person were thrown off an inner tube being pulled by a pontoon boat on Lake Tobesofkee in Bibb County, Channel 2 Action News reported. While one of the tubers was rescued, the 31-year-old’s body was found the next day.
Neither was wearing a life vest, the Georgia Department of Natural Resources told the news station.
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