Man and his teenage sons were rescued from the Edisto River after becoming entangled in fallen tree

COLLETON COUNTY, S.C. (WCBD) – A man and his teenage sons were rescued from the Edisto River last week after their kayak and canoe became entangled in a fallen tree, causing them to spill into the cold water.

Colleton County Fire Rescue crews responded Friday morning to a report of three boaters stranded on the river amid rapidly moving water.

The father and his two teenage boys were together in a kayak and a canoe when officials said they encountered a tree across the river. “With the swift current, the two watercrafts became entangled in the tree, spilling the three into the cold water,” said fire-rescue officials.

Fire-Rescue crews launched boats at two landings, Jimbo Lane and Salcro Lane, and were able to locate the three boaters about an hour later between the two landings.

All three were brought back to the Salcro Lane Landing and tested for mild hypothermia.

Meanwhile, crews unwedged the two watercraft from the tree and gathered some of their equipment.

“Due to the fast current, Marine 1 was unable to navigate around the fallen tree and used a private boat landing on the Dorchester County side of the river to deliver the canoe, kayak, and gear,” officials said.

After warming up in a medical vehicle, the man and his sons were taken back to their vehicle up the river.