Deer hunter rescued after his kayak capsized in the Fond du Lac River
FOND DU LAC COUNTY – A 27-year-old Waupaca man was rescued by emergency responders from the Fond du Lac River after his kayak got stuck in the ice this morning.
Wardens from the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources and teams from Fond du Lac County Sheriff’s Office, Lamartine Fire Department and City of Fond du Lac Fire Department Paramedics responded to the site at about 7:40 a.m., after receiving a 911 call that the man was stranded when his kayak capsized in the Eldorado Marsh Wildlife area, north of the Mascoutin Valley State Park Trail.
Deputies were first to arrive and saw that the man was approximately 100 yards north of the Mascoutin Valley State Park Trail Bridge but couldn’t immediately get to him due to water and ice.
A three-person rescue team from the Lamartine Fire Department used an inflatable rescue sled to reach the man on the river, which is approximately 20 to 30 yards wide. They reached the man at about 8:20 a.m., got him into the rescue sled and made their way back to the paramedics.
From the time of the call to the time of rescue, the man was in the water for about an hour. He was transported to SSM St. Agnes Hospital for hypothermia, according to a press release.
The man told the investigating deputy that he was deer hunting in the morning and put his kayak in the river near the bridge at about 6:15 a.m. As he attempted to paddle upstream, his kayak capsized after going over a piece of ice that broke away.
He tried to reach the bridge by walking through the water, but realized he was too far away and the water was too cold. The man then called 911.
The press release noted that the man was also hindered by the area’s varying water levels and mucky river floor.
William Hankee, DNR conservation warden for Fond du Lac, said since the incident happened in a state wildlife area, involved a boating incident and transport for medical care, the DNR conducted a follow-up investigation.
Hankee met with the man at the hospital earlier today, returned his possessions retrieved from the water and discussed safety and planning steps.
“In a situation (where) you're going out, obviously it's cold, you're in the water,” Hankee said. “He didn't have waders with, which aren't required but if you're going to be in and out of a kayak on the river, that's something that's good to have.”
While waders aren’t required, wearing a life vest is.
The man told Hankee that he had a type V life vest with him, which boaters are required by state law to wear while boating. Hankee said they never located the life vest.
“That's required to be on for the very reason of if you capsize, it doesn't have positive flotation. In other words, it can sink to the bottom and (you) lose your life vest,” Hankee said.
Although the man had a minor violation for not having the life vest readily available, Hankee said no citations were issued because he didn’t feel it was appropriate.
Contact Alex Garner at 224-374-2332 or agarner@gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter at @alexx_garner.
This article originally appeared on Sheboygan Press: Waupaca deer hunter rescued after kayak capsized in Fond du Lac River
