In an official release from the DNR Law Enforcement, Dubois County Conservation Officers are investigating three young men who were stranded while kayaking in the Patoka River.
On Sunday afternoon, just after 5 pm, three 18-year old boys, all from Jasper; Brandon Jochim, Nicholas C. Day, and Seth L. Hill, were kayaking an an area of the Patoka River that was flooded, located downstream of County Road 300 North in Dubois County, when one of their kayaks overturned upon hitting a low lying limb at water level.
The individual who overturned his kayak advised officers it was his first time kayaking.
The flooded area of the Patoka that the young men were in displayed a strong current causing all three individuals to become stranded in the water with only two kayaks left for them to hold on to.
The third kayak drifted downstream in the current. The boys were stranded in the water for approximately 1.5 hours, and were not wearing life jackets.
Conservation Officers Kyle Hembree, Jonathan Watkins, Logan Hodges, and Tony Mann were able to rescue the boys from the water by jon boat. They were met with an ambulance and transported to Jasper Memorial Hospital. There were no major injuries sustained from the incident.
Responding agencies included Indiana Conservation Officers, Dubois County Sheriff’s Department, Jasper Police Department, Jasper Fire Department, and Life Flight of Evansville.
Indiana Conservation Officers strongly encourage the use of life jackets while enjoying any activity out on the water.
