4 kayakers rescued from Catawba River late Monday

Emergency crews rescued four kayakers from the Catawba River after they became stranded Monday night.

The call came in about 8 p.m. a mile or so from a boat launch, according to Battalion Chief Trey Hovis of the Rock Hill Fire Department. Four people riding in three kayaks “got into some distress” as the sun was setting.

Two women were on the riverbank on one side of the river and two men had beached their kayak on the other side of the river, Hovis said.

“We basically had to kayak out with a couple of our technicians and make contact and assist the victims to the shore,” Hovis said, adding that the stranded kayakers had no lighting, forcing the technicians to find them through voice contact.

The kayakers were helped to the shore. Piedmont EMS was on standby; however, Hovis said there were no injuries.

This is the second time in less than a week that emergency responders assisted stranded kayakers on the river. Hovis said these types of calls typically increase during the summer months.

“With more people are on the water, there’s more of a chance of people getting in distress,” he said. “A lot of people get out here and get to paddling on the water and realize really quick that they’re ... in need of help, so that’s what we’re here to do.”

This story was originally published May 31, 2016 at 7:35 PM with the headline "4 kayakers rescued from Catawba River late Monday."