May 26, 2024 – Fond du Lac Co., WI – On Saturday, May 25, 2024, at 7:24 p.m., the Fond du Lac County Communications Center received a call from a female who said she and a friend were stuck in the Rock River after capsizing their kayaks.
Both females were stuck in downed timber and unable to rescue themselves due to the swift moving current.
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The dispatcher who took the emergency call was able to quickly gather the female’s location and guided a Sheriff’s Sergeant who happened to be in the area of the call to their location.
They were found just north of Hwy 49 near Church Road in the Township of Waupun.
Waupun Police Department, LifeStar Ambulance, and Waupun Fire Departments were also sent to aid as both females were struggling to stay above the water.
The Sheriff’s Office Sergeant located the first female, a 40-year-old Beaver Dam woman. He noticed a good Samaritan was already in the water trying to keep her above the water line.
The Sergeant entered the water and used water rescue equipment from his squad car to keep afloat both persons and pull them to shore.
Waupun Fire Department was able to navigate the swift moving water and reach the other female, a 52-year-old Waupun woman. She was quickly freed from the downed tree and brought to shore. Both females’ where uninjured and their kayaks were recovered from the river.
We would like to thank the good Samaritan who selflessly stepped in to aid law enforcement in this hazardous kayak incident.
It is also important to thank the community members who donated the water rescue equipment used in this event.
Each one of our patrol fleet vehicles are outfitted with such safety equipment because of the generosity of our community. This call for service shows what great things can be accomplished when our citizens and emergency services work together.
