RICE COUNTY, Minn. — While the rain-filled spring of 2024 has done wonders for previously drought-impacted Minnesota, the added precipitation has created hazardous conditions on some rivers across Minnesota.
Multiple incidents involving fast currents and/or underwater obstacles in recent days have left paddlers dead or injured, and triggered rescues of those thrown into the water after canoes or kayaks capsized. Among them:
- Two anglers perished and another was injured when swift currents pushed their canoes over Curtain Falls near the Canadian border of the BWCA on May 19.
- A teen remains hospitalized after her paddleboard became stuck in downed trees on the Crow River near Hanover on Sunday, June 1, and she was pulled underwater. The 16-year-old is hospitalized in critical condition.
- Five people were plucked from the Cannon River on May 25 by rescuers from the Rice County Sheriff's Office. They were thrown into the rushing water after their canoes and kayaks got entangled in some downed trees and capsized. The paddlers were able to hang onto those trees until rescue personnel pulled them to safety.
In the last incident, Rice County Sheriff's officials say a group of three adults and six juveniles had launched canoes and kayaks from Two Rivers Park in Faribault and were paddling the Cannon River to Northfield. The submerged trees they encountered fell during an outbreak of tornadoes that swept through the area back in 2018.
Fortunately, all of those who went into the water were wearing life jackets and managed to stay afloat until they were rescued by members of the Rice County Dive and Drone teams. The rescue was captured by both drone and body cam video.
The incident reflects that conditions on the Cannon and other rivers across Minnesota are more risky than usual this spring due to faster currents and higher water levels that can hide underwater hazards. Rice County Sheriff Jesse Thomas recommends using extreme caution when taking watercraft on the river and wants adventurers to consider both their safety and that of first responders who are dispatched to rescue capsized or stranded individuals.
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