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.
Tom,
Any details on how they were rescued? Like someone walked up the bank and said “hey, whatcha doing out there on that rock?”
Don(Quote)
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.
Tom Chandler(Quote)
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.
Smellslikefish(Quote)
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.
Tom Chandler(Quote)