Authorities urge safety after 2 water rescues in Kandiyohi County
File photo of water. (Photo by Ernst Haas/Ernst Haas/Getty Images) (Getty Images)
KANDIYOHI COUNTY, Minn. (FOX 9) - Three hunters had to be rescued after their boats sank in separate incidents Saturday in Kandiyohi County.
First rescue
According to the Kandiyohi County Sheriff's Office, just after 6:30 a.m. in New London Township on the Middle Fork Crow River, two duck hunters became stranded after their boat filled with water due to wind gusts of about 30 mph.
The hunters, ages 33 and 13, were able to leave their boat and swim to a nearby island to call for help, law enforcement said. The two were experiencing the early signs of hypothermia, and were treated by medical personnel at the scene.
The boat was towed back to shore, and the two hunters were medically cleared at the scene.
Second rescue
The second rescue happened later in the day, around 1 p.m. in Fahlun Township on Big Kandiyohi Lake, authorities said.
The Kandiyohi County Sheriff's Office responded to reports of a stranded 32-year-old hunter on an island after his boat sank.
According to law enforcement, the hunter refused medical attention but was not able to make it back to the lake access as his boat had filled with water and sank due to high wind gusts.
The hunter was safely taken back to the lake access.
What they're saying
The sheriff's office says they strongly urge hunters and people on lakes to use caution in the water on days with unpredictable and strong winds.