Overturned Kayak rescue on Lake Jocassee

A nice day on Lake Jocassee quickly turned terrifying for two kayaking parties yesterday.  Just before 1pm, Oconee County 911 received a phone call of an overturned kayak with two occupants; a 72-year-old male and a 14-year-old male.  Emergency crews were immediately dispatched to the Devil’s Fork Boat Ramp.  Incident Command was able to obtain the cell phone number to the kayakers and after several attempts were able to make direct contact with them.  The kayakers advised they were ok and had made it to shore, but were unable to paddle back to the boat ramp.  Command was able to ascertain the kayakers location and this information was passed to the boats on the water.  Around 2pm, Marine 1 was able to locate the kayakers and began to return them to Devil’s Fork Boat Ramp.  In the process, Marine 1 came across a canoe with three-children and one-adult who also had been unable to paddle back to the ramp access due to high winds.  Marine 1 also rescued the canoe occupants and transported them back as well.  All parties were safely returned by approximately 2:30pm. Thankfully, there were no injuries. Oconee County Emergency Services Deputy Rescue Chief Adam Williams said, “The reason there were no injuries is because everyone involved wore a lifejacket and had a way to communicate with emergency personnel when they became stranded.” Agencies involved in the successful search and rescue were the Salem Fire Department, Salem Rescue Squad, Oconee County Dive Team, Oconee County Emergency Services, Oconee County Sheriff’s Office, Devil’s Fork State Park, and the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources.