Rafters Stranded on Upper Sacramento River, Rescued by Helicopter
By Tom Chandler on May 7, 2008 in News
This story’s been saddled by shifting facts, but the basics seem clear; a raft on the Upper Sac overturned, and while it continued its downstream trip, its seven passengers were “stranded” mid-river.
After passing train crew saw (and heard) the group, a Highway Patrol helicopter was called in to rescue them:
Seven rafters were stranded on a rock and awaiting rescue early Saturday evening after their vessel overturned on the Sacramento River near Castella.Officers from the Shasta County Sheriff’s Office responded to a report from railroad personnel on a passing train who said they saw the rafters and heard them calling for help.
A California Highway Patrol helicopter pilot who took part in the search spotted an upside-down raft and then located the rafters several miles away on the rock in the river.
We’re a little confused (the Sac’s running high, but not that high), and information is a little thin (I called the Underground’s Whitewater Consultants at River Dancers, but they were out having fun on the river).
See you in on the river, Tom Chandler.
Don | May 7, 2008 | Reply
Tom,
Any details on how they were rescued? Like someone walked up the bank and said “hey, whatcha doing out there on that rock?”
Tom Chandler | May 7, 2008 | Reply
Rumor has it the train crew heard/saw them, then the Highway Patrol helicopter found their raft several miles downstream, flew upstream, found them and then airlifted them (two at a time) to the shore.
I’d guess there wasn’t room to land a helicopter, so it may have been a rope rescue — a pretty photogenic event (if I’d been there).
I’m still waiting for the local grapevine to provide details.
Smellslikefish | May 8, 2008 | Reply
It was in a newspaper (maybe the Record-Searchlight) a day or two ago. The rescue was near Castella. The helicopter was able to put one runner on land with the other hovering above water.
Tom Chandler | May 8, 2008 | Reply
Smells: Thanks. The online stories have been all over the place on this one; the original Shasta Sheriff’s press release had them on the east side of the river at Soda Creek, then they were on a rock, then they were up around Castella…
A hovering copter picture would be cool.