Ozaukee County first responders save family of three, father and son on Milwaukee River

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On Saturday at or around 11:55 a.m., the Ozaukee County Sheriff’s Office received a report of kayakers in distress on an island in the Milwaukee River near Manchester Drive in the Town of Grafton.

A 38-year-old male, a 36-year-old female, and their 2-year-old child from the City of Mequon were kayaking down the Milwaukee River when their kayaks overturned, according to authorities, who noted all three of them were separated from their kayaks and became stranded on an island in the river. The child was wearing a life jacket. The adults had life jackets with them, however, they were not being worn at the time, the Sheriff’s Office noted.

The kayaks and life jackets continued downstream when the kayaks overturned, authorities said.

The Grafton Fire Department, Saukville Fire Department, Port Washington Fire Department, Waubeka Fire Department, Fredonia Fire Department, and Cedarburg Fire Department responded. A water rescue was conducted and all  three were located and safely brought back to shore.

The Grafton Police Department, Saukville Police Department, Ozaukee County Emergency Management, and Ozaukee County Drone Team also assisted with the incident.

According to authorities, this was the second water rescue to occur on the same stretch of the Milwaukee River in the Town of Grafton in a two-day span.

A previous incident occurred on Thursday, at or around 2:36 p.m. when the Ozaukee County Sheriff’s Office received a report of two kayakers in distress on an island in the Milwaukee River. The incident occurred in the Milwaukee River near the area of Heather Ct. in the Town of Grafton, authorities said.

A 49-year-old male and his 16-year-old son from the Town of Graton were kayaking down the Milwaukee River when their kayaks overturned. Both men were wearing their life jackets. They became separated from their kayaks and were also stranded on an island.

The Grafton Fire Department, Saukville Fire Department, Waubeka Fire Department, and Fredonia Fire Department responded. A water rescue was conducted and both of them were located and brought safely back to shore.

They were located and brought safely back to shore, authorities noted.

The Cedarburg Police Cedarburg Police Department, Ozaukee County Emergency Management, and Ozaukee County Drone Department, Ozaukee County Emergency Management, and Ozaukee County Drone Team also assisted with the incident.

The Ozaukee County Sheriff’s Office noted that in both incidents, the kayakers entered the Milwaukee River from Lime Kiln Park in the Village of Grafton.

Authorities said the kayaks overturned due to rapid water conditions and downed due to rapid water conditions and downed trees in the river causing obstacles that were difficult to navigate.

“Trees in the river causing obstacles that were difficult to navigate,” Ozaukee County Sheriff’s Offices said, urging kayakers to avoid using this stretch of the Milwaukee River until water levels subside and water conditions improve.

One yellow, black and red kayak from Thursday’s incident still unaccounted for unaccounted for.

The Ozaukee County Sheriff’s Office asks the public to contact them if the kayak is located.

According to several reports, climate change is leading to heavier rainfall and increased flooding.

Although climate change continues to be a hotly contested political issue in the United States, it is recognized and accepted science in most of the world.