Raft capsizes in Grafton, crews rescue 3 teens from Milwaukee River
Raft capsizes in Grafton, crews rescue 3 teens from Milwaukee River
Raft capsizes in Grafton, crews rescue 3 teens from Milwaukee River
OZAUKEE COUNTY (WITI) -- Three Grafton area teens are safe tonight after making what fire officials call a terrible decision. They were trying to raft just downstream from where Cedar Creek and the Milwaukee River converge.
The flooded, fast-moving river was too much, and they ended up in the water.
"These people made a very poor decision today and a lot of fire personnel had to go in the water and bring them back and it's dangerous for everyone," said Grafton Fire Chief, Bill Rice.
Typically, the Milwaukee River runs peacefully through this part of Ozaukee County. On Saturday, though, the water moves quickly and Grafton rescue personnel had to move rapidly when three teens wound up in the river.
"They went and purchased a raft today and thought it'd be a good idea to put it in the river and go for a ride," said Chief Rice.
Chief Rice says the teens are lucky neighbors heard their screams and called the sheriff's department.
Rescuers found one of the teens caught on a tree, the other two wound up on a small island.
"They were all checked out by ambulances and I believe they've all signed off. They're all wet and very cold, but they're all okay," said Chief Rice.
While rivers across the area have been receding since Thursday's storms, they remain elevated with a faster discharge than usual.
Rice says the story of these teens should stop anyone else who's thinking about going out on the water.
"It turned out to be a terrible idea and it would be a terrible idea for anyone in southeastern Wisconsin to put a raft in the river," said Chief Rice.
Just to give you an idea of how the river is moving, the daily median discharge for the Milwaukee River at Highway C is a little less than 1,000 cubic feet per second. Today, it's more than 3,000.
Currently, the Milwaukee River level at Cedarburg is a little higher than 10 feet -- that's just below flood stage.
Even so, officials say it is dangerously high -- and repeat -- it's moving faster than it may appear.