HASTINGS, Mich. (WOOD) — The Barry County Sheriff’s Office said “several people” capsized on the Thornapple River on Sunday.
The sheriff’s office said that its crews, as well as teams from the Michigan State Police and the Hastings police and fire departments, responded to water rescues between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. One person had to be taken to Pennock Hospital in Hastings for hypothermia and exhaustion.
One of the rescues happened around 9:15 p.m. Tyden Park in Hastings. In that case, a kayak capsized after hitting a log. While trying to help, a second kayak that was part of the same group also capsized. The kayakers were rescued a little further downriver. Hastings police say they were in the water for only about 15 minutes. Neither of those people sustained serious injuries and they were released after being checked out by emergency medical responders on the scene.
The sheriff’s office warned that the river is at flood stage. According to the National Weather Service, flood stage is 7 feet at Hastings; the river was at about 8.4 feet there on Sunday evening. The sheriff’s office also said that the current is running fast and the water temperatures are cold enough to pose a threat of hypothermia. It said water recreation enthusiasts are “at risk” if they go onto the river.