Rochester Fire Department Rescues Three Canoeists

Rochester, MN (KROC-AM News) - Rochester firefighters rushed to Silver Lake late Sunday morning after receiving reports of empty canoes floating near the dam and multiple people needing rescue.

What they found when they arrived just before noon was three people stranded on the small island on the northeast side of the lake. They had gotten into the predicament because their canoes had drifted away after gusty winds blew them off the shore while the group was walking around the island.

The firefighters learned about the group on the island from one man who swam to shore to find help after an unsuccessful attempt to catch the runaway canoes. The Fire Department launched a boat and safely transported the three individuals stranded on the island to the boat launch.

The two runaway canoes were hung up on the dam, but the current and the wind eventually sent them over the structure and through the spillway, which allowed firefighters to retrieve them. No injuries were reported.

Rochester Fire Dept. photo

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