Tubers got lost in ‘extremely remote’ area of SC river. Here’s what happened next
Two people had to be rescued after getting lost and stranded in a very remote area of a South Carolina river late Saturday night, according to the Newberry County Sheriff’s Office.
The rescue in the Saluda River didn’t start until after 9:30 p.m., when the lost tubers called 911 seeking help, the sheriff’s office said Sunday in a news release. The people who had left for a fun float had no idea where they were, or how far they had traveled since launching from Chappells when 911 centers in Saluda, Greenwood and Newberry counties got involved, according to the release.
Telecommunications operators in Newberry County were able to lead first responders toward the missing tubers after it was determined they were in “an extremely remote area of the river near the Outfitters development between Chappells and Buzzard’s Roost,” the sheriff’s office said. That’s where the river makes a huge switchback bend, according to the release.
The level of the water and geography of the river prevented the use of boats to get to the tubers, and no air rescue attempts were available at that time, the sheriff’s office said.
The closest access was a private road through the area, which did not directly access the river, so S.C. Department of Natural Resources officers, Newberry County deputies and members of Newberry County EMS hiked to the river, according to the release. At about 11:45 p.m., the emergency responders were able to locate the missing tubers — on the opposite bank of the river, the sheriff’s office said.
The tubers were suffering from exhaustion, and the geography of the river prevented the stranded pair from going to the rescuers, according to the release. So the rescuers literally reached out to them, as a DNR officer and a Newberry County deputy waded and swam across the river and established a line to successfully guide the tubers to the Newberry County side of the river, the sheriff’s office said.
Members of the Chappells Rescue Squad and Newberry County EMS gave the two victims medical attention prior to them being taken to their vehicles at a boat landing near S.C. 39 at about 1:30 a.m. Sunday, according to the release.
No other injuries were reported.
“This was a very difficult situation for first responders due to the conditions and the location,” Newberry County Sheriff Lee Foster said in the release. “We used technology to locate them, but in the end, it took human resources, to perform a successful rescue. It was a great coordinated effort.”
BEHIND THE STORY
MOREThis is a breaking news story
In a breaking news situation, facts can be unclear and the situation may still be developing. The State is trying to get important information to the public as quickly and accurately as possible. This story will be updated as more information becomes available, and some information in this story may change as the facts become clearer. Refresh this page later for more updated information.
This story was originally published June 11, 2023 at 1:17 PM with the headline "Tubers got lost in ‘extremely remote’ area of SC river. Here’s what happened next."
