More information has been released regarding an incident involving lost rafters, handled by several area emergency agencies early Monday morning. According to the Pottawatomie County Sheriff’s Department, at about 4:25 a.m. the Sheriff’s Office received a call from the Riley County Police Department that two subjects on a raft may be lost somewhere on the Kansas River between Manhattan and Wamego.
A concerned relative had called police to report she was unable to get ahold of family members that had been rafting on the Kansas River earlier. It is believed they had left the Linear Trail Park boat ramp area around 4:00 p.m. on Sunday and headed east on the Kansas River. It was also thought their cell phones were out of battery power as they were unable to be contacted by phone.
Agencies looked at different locations along the river in an effort to locate the lost persons on the raft. Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks, and Tourism Officers put an air-boat in the water at Wamego and headed West.
At about 7:13 a.m. both subjects were found in good condition about 1/2 mile west of St. George. The subjects were followed by Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks, and Tourism officers to the St. George boat ramp, where they safely docked and later left the scene.
Agencies involved in this effort were Kansas Department of Wildlife,Parks and Tourism, Wabaunsee County Sheriff’s Office, Manhattan Fire Department water rescue unit, the Riley County Police Department and the Pottawatomie County Sheriff’s Office.
