July 12, 2022 - Around 11:40 A.M. on Tuesday, July 12, 2022, deputies with our Boating Enforcement Unit and firefighters with Cal Fire – Fresno County responded to a rescue on the Kings River. It was located near Annadale and Riverbend Avenues near Sanger. A father and son (approximately 15 years old) were in separate kayaks. The teenager collided with a tree in the river, causing his kayak to flip over. He clung to a tree as his dad went downstream in his kayak. As he tried to turn around and help his son, he flipped his kayak. The man was able to safely make it to shore. Firefighters launched their boat and made their way to the boy and rescued him. Both were wearing life jackets.

While firefighters and deputies were still on the water, another call came in for a rescue. Two women and a dog, on separate tubes, collided with a different tree than the one listed above. This was further south from the other incident. Cal Fire quickly got to the women and dog, picked them up, and dropped them off at the shore. Both were NOT wearing life jackets.

The tree listed in the incident with kayakers is a major hazard that has been the site of four different rescues in the past six days. The tree is too large to be removed, but rafters / boaters can avoid it if they stay to the right side (west side) of the river. The tree is located about a ¼ mile south of the Annadale Bridge, north of the Goodfellow Bridge.

The Fresno County Sheriff’s Office encourages everyone to pay close attention to where they are going as they float downstream. Identify objects early on and create a plan to safely navigate around them. Also important, do not tie rafts or tubes together because if one gets stuck, they will all get stuck. Once they become entangled, it creates a dangerous and possibly even deadly situation. ALWAYS wear a life jacket!

Source & photos: Fresno County Sheriff's Office