The following is from the Indiana Department of Natural Resources. The story has a happy ending because the paddler was wearing a life jacket. Paddlers, please wear your PFD. I wear mine. So does my wife. She’s the pretty lady in the photo.
Indiana Conservation Officers responded and rescued a kayaker in distress from the Mississinewa River this afternoon (Monday). A approximately 12:55 p.m., officers responded to a call from Grant County Dispatch of a stranded kayaker on the Mississinewa River who was clinging to a branch. Paul Bryant, 52, of Converse, was kayaking on the river, which is at elevated levels due to recent rains. Bryant’s kayak struck an overhanging branch, causing it to capsize. Bryant, who was wearing a Personal Flotation Device (PFD), was able to grab a branch and hold on until rescuers arrived. Conservation Officers with the assistance of the Marion Fire Department were able to launch a boat and reach Bryant. Bryant was transported to shore and checked by medical personnel before being released. Conservation Officers would like to remind the public of the importance of wearing a PFD and using sound discretion when deciding to launch a boat in high water.
