CEDAR RAPIDS: Swift Water Rescue/Recovery

CEDAR RAPIDS, IOWA (LoudLabs CR) – On September 3rd at 4:28 PM, firefighters were dispatched to the 1800 block of Timber Wolf Trail SE in regards to a swift water rescue on Indian Creek. Arriving units found a female in her early 30s, in the water after a kayak had flipped over. Her male counterpart was swept under debris when their kayak flipped over at approximately 4:15 PM and has not been seen since. The female was stuck in the water for nearly an hour on a logjam in the creek until it began to break apart, forcing her to jump into the arms of a nearby firefighter in the water. She was quickly pulled to shore at 5:04 PM and transported to Mercy Medical Center by Area Ambulance Service. Crews relocated 3/4 of a mile downstream on a bridge on Rosedale Road to continue to search for the male subject. Firefighters launched two boats into the water to aid in the search, and requested the Johnson County Dive Rescue Team to assist in the search. Johnson County launched an additional two boats into the water to assist Cedar Rapids Fire, and located the kayak involved in the incident a mile and a half downstream from the original incident, with no sign of the male victim. Although considerable resources, including drones, were utilized, the search was suspended for the day due to decreased daylight and severe weather and was officially deemed a recovery effort. Neither subject involved was wearing a life jacket at the time of the incident, and Indian Creek is extremely dangerous at this time due to flooding from prolonged rainfall, with water depth significantly higher than normal and currents moving at high speeds.