Kayakers Rescued From Eel River At Collamer Dam
June 26, 2017 at 7:11 p.m.
COLLAMER – Two kayakers from Kosciusko County were rescued from the Eel River at the Collamer dam Sunday.
Richard V. Wilson, 31, Warsaw, attempted to cross over the low head dam just before noon, fell out of his kayak and was unable to escape the boil at the bottom of the four-foot drop caused by the volume of water rushing over the dam, according to an Indiana Department of Natural Resources news release.
His companion, Zachary A. Anderson, 25, Syracuse, waded out to Wilson on the west side of the dam and was sucked into the circulating current.
William Jenkins and Asiah Skeens, both of Sidney, were at the river’s edge starting their own kayak trip south when Wilson and Anderson got into their life-threatening situations.
A third unidentified rescuer entered the water and was able to bring both victims to shore, the release states. Jenkins and Skeens started cardiopulmonary resuscitation while other people along the shore summoned emergency services.
Wilson and Anderson were transported to Parkview Regional Medical Center by Parkview Samaritan Medical Transport for further treatment.
Indiana Conservation Officers, Whitley County Sheriff’s deputies, South Whitley town marshal Mikel VanDevender, Indiana State Police officers, Cleveland Township firefighters, and Parkview Whitley ambulance crews responded to the scene.
“We heard the sirens right away,” Jenkins said as he packed up his two kayaks. He and Skeens had decided agains their trip on the river.
“I can’t believe he got them both out,” he said of the second rescuer. “We pulled them on shore and started CPR. One of the DNR guys said 1,000 gallons per second is going over that dam.”
The Eel is at 5 feet over flood stage as recorded at the North Manchester dam, according to USGS readings. The USGS data showed 1,024 cubic feet per second going over the dam Sunday. There are 7.48 gallons of water in a cubic foot.
Tim Weybright, of Tunker, has canoed and kayaked all the streams, creeks and rivers of northeast Indiana.
“Every time I go into a community with a dam on the river, I always ask if anyone has ever tried to shoot it,” he said. “I’ve never heard of anyone trying the Collamer Dam.
“Think about it,” said Weybright, a retired accountant. “There’s a minimum of four tons of water going over the bridge per second, dropping four feet and causing a backwash of turbulence you cannot out-paddle, out-swim or out-plan. It’s like an underwater tornado.
“They were all lucky. The second rescuer was really lucky, that kind of thing usually means death for everyone.”
Monday morning, Parkview Regional Hospital’s marketing department listed Wilson’s and Anderson’s conditions as critical.
COLLAMER – Two kayakers from Kosciusko County were rescued from the Eel River at the Collamer dam Sunday.
Richard V. Wilson, 31, Warsaw, attempted to cross over the low head dam just before noon, fell out of his kayak and was unable to escape the boil at the bottom of the four-foot drop caused by the volume of water rushing over the dam, according to an Indiana Department of Natural Resources news release.
His companion, Zachary A. Anderson, 25, Syracuse, waded out to Wilson on the west side of the dam and was sucked into the circulating current.
William Jenkins and Asiah Skeens, both of Sidney, were at the river’s edge starting their own kayak trip south when Wilson and Anderson got into their life-threatening situations.
A third unidentified rescuer entered the water and was able to bring both victims to shore, the release states. Jenkins and Skeens started cardiopulmonary resuscitation while other people along the shore summoned emergency services.
Wilson and Anderson were transported to Parkview Regional Medical Center by Parkview Samaritan Medical Transport for further treatment.
Indiana Conservation Officers, Whitley County Sheriff’s deputies, South Whitley town marshal Mikel VanDevender, Indiana State Police officers, Cleveland Township firefighters, and Parkview Whitley ambulance crews responded to the scene.
“We heard the sirens right away,” Jenkins said as he packed up his two kayaks. He and Skeens had decided agains their trip on the river.
“I can’t believe he got them both out,” he said of the second rescuer. “We pulled them on shore and started CPR. One of the DNR guys said 1,000 gallons per second is going over that dam.”
The Eel is at 5 feet over flood stage as recorded at the North Manchester dam, according to USGS readings. The USGS data showed 1,024 cubic feet per second going over the dam Sunday. There are 7.48 gallons of water in a cubic foot.
Tim Weybright, of Tunker, has canoed and kayaked all the streams, creeks and rivers of northeast Indiana.
“Every time I go into a community with a dam on the river, I always ask if anyone has ever tried to shoot it,” he said. “I’ve never heard of anyone trying the Collamer Dam.
“Think about it,” said Weybright, a retired accountant. “There’s a minimum of four tons of water going over the bridge per second, dropping four feet and causing a backwash of turbulence you cannot out-paddle, out-swim or out-plan. It’s like an underwater tornado.
“They were all lucky. The second rescuer was really lucky, that kind of thing usually means death for everyone.”
Monday morning, Parkview Regional Hospital’s marketing department listed Wilson’s and Anderson’s conditions as critical.