DETROIT (AP) — The U.S. Coast Guard has rescued three adults and a child who became stranded on a small island in the Detroit River during a kayaking trip.
The man, his wife, a 5-year-old girl, and a family friend became stranded on the island in the river’s mouth Friday after launching their kayaks from Lake Erie Metropark.
Rescue crews were sent on a boat and a helicopter, but the water around the island proved too shallow for the boat.
The kayakers were hoisted into the helicopter after 7 p.m. and taken to Gross Ile Municipal Airport, and treated for mild hypothermia.
The Coast Guard says the kayakers spent about four hours stranded, but were prepared with a survival kit and cell phones and had also lit a bonfire to stay warm.