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Coast Guard rescues 4 kayakers stranded on small island

Posted at 11:55 PM, Dec 29, 2018
and last updated 2018-12-29 23:55:20-05

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.