(WKYT) – A water rescue response at a Casey County campground ended safely Saturday evening after a brief search for a missing tuber on the river, according to the Liberty-Casey County Rescue Squad.
Around 7 p.m., rescue crews were dispatched to Soggy Bottom Campground for a water-related incident involving a group floating the river behind the campground, rescue crews said.
Officials say heavy rain from storms earlier in the day had caused a significant rise in the river, creating fast-moving water and debris that overturned the group’s floats. One person was swept away from the group and was initially unaccounted for, prompting others to search on foot and by kayak.
Units from multiple local agencies responded and secured the scene. Responders said they initially received conflicting reports about how many people were missing.
Rescuers deployed a drone for aerial coverage and sent a four-person swift-water crew with a boat downstream. Within about an hour of the initial call, all members of the group were found safe and unharmed, officials said. The boat crew searched about 2.6 miles of river, while the drone flew for roughly 45 minutes to help document the area for future responses.
Rescue officials urged people to wear life jackets, watch for swift or rising water, and let others know their planned route when floating rivers to help prevent tragedies.