MOHAVE COUNTY, Ariz. — Three people were safely rescued after being swept down the river in the Virgin River Gorge in Arizona Saturday afternoon.
At approximately 3:30 p.m., emergency personnel from Beaver Dam/Littlefield Fire District were dispatched for a search and rescue on the Virgin River near mile marker 16 on Interstate 15.
“Witnesses stated two adults and one juvenile were riding on inner tubes down the river when they were knocked off their equipment and fell into the water,” Beaver Dam/Littlefield paramedic Ryan Moore said in a statement, adding that none of the individuals were wearing any life jackets or flotation devices.
The inner tubes were located shortly thereafter near I-15 mile marker 8 in some brush, but the individuals were still missing.
A Mercy Air helicopter crew was dispatched to the location for aerial reconnaissance while teams from the fire district, Arizona Department of Public Safety and Mohave County Sheriff’s Office searched the shoreline.
The helicopter crew spotted the three missing individuals and relayed their location to the ground crews.
The search teams found their way to the individuals and helped them to safety. All three declined medical evaluation or transport to the hospital for treatment.
“Beaver Dam/Littlefield Fire District would like to remind everyone to wear flotation devices during water recreation and to use extreme caution when using an inner tube in strong currents,” Moore said in the statement.
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