From the Rockingham County Fire and Rescue FB page:
A large family, from out of the area, took to the river in canoes to enjoy the warm weather and the Valley's beauty. They were planning to float between where they put in in Elkton and were exiting the river In Shenandoah. Unfortunately, several of the vessels overturned when they encountered rapids leaving multiple family members stranded and in distress, some of whom were not strong swimmers. First responders were on scene quickly and were able to put in paddle boats downstream and rescue all twelve members of the family. Thankfully no one was hurt, and Ambulances 912 and 306 were only used to transport the family to their vehicles in Shenandoah.
Please remember:
- to check river conditions before putting vessels in the water
- EVERYONE is required to have a properly sized life jacket, whistle and glow stick
- to have fully charged cell phones
- to contact 911 at the first sign of trouble! The emergency scene may be hard to locate and the sooner you alert ECC that you may be in trouble the faster responders can activate appropriate resources and locate you.
Read more HERE