A family of four narrowly avoided tragedy Sunday afternoon when a mother and her daughter became trapped in the fast-flowing Chattahoochee River but were saved by the Gwinnett County Swiftwater Rescue Team.
According to Gwinnett Fire and Emergency Services, firefighters got a call from a man who said his wife and daughter were trapped in the river just before 3 p.m. A crew responded to a section of the Chattahoochee near the Cumming Highway Bridge in Buford, where they met the man and his son on the riverbank.
Firefighters were able to spot the woman and her daughter from the bridge, Gwinnett fire officials said. The two were trapped by a faster-than-usual current thanks to the Buford Dam generating hydroelectricity at the time.
Crews tried to throw rescue ropes to them, but they were too far from the bank for the ropes to reach. By that time, the swiftwater team had arrived and deployed their boat.
With the help of spotters on the bridge, the SRT boat was able to navigate to the stranded mother and daughter. Two rescue swimmers entered the water and were able to retrieve the daughter, but the mother was swept away. The boat followed and maintained contact with her until she could be pulled to safety.
They were both taken to McGinnis Ferry Bridge, where emergency medical personnel were waiting. The daughter was treated and released to her father, but her mother was taken to the hospital. Gwinnett officials did not release further details about the nature of her injuries and have not shared any updates.
“This incident serves as a good reminder that the National Park Service encourages everyone to wear Personal Flotation Devices (PFDs) whenever near rivers,” county officials said.
Information about the flow conditions of the Chattahoochee River below the Buford Dam can be found on the National Park Service’s website.
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