Third rescue in 2 days from DuPage River in Naperville
Naperville emergency responders rescued a 58-year-old man from the swiftly moving waters of the DuPage River Wednesday night — their second water rescue of the day.
It was the third time in two days that Naperville emergency crews had to rescue people who tried unsuccessfully to boat down the rain-swollen river. No one was injured in any of the cases.
Just before 8 p.m. Wednesday, firefighters were called to the 1200 block of South Washington Street for reports of a person clinging to a tree, fire officials said.
The man, who was not wearing a life jacket, attempted to navigate the waters in an inflatable canoe launched from Pioneer Park, and when he didn't arrive at the designated landing area, his friend alerted emergency responders. Firefighters positioned a safety net downstream before removing him from the water at about 8:20 p.m.
Earlier Wednesday, three boys became trapped in waist-deep water when their inflatable raft punctured near the 95th Street bridge connecting Naperville and Bolingbrook.
The fire department assembled a team of swift water rescue technicians to bring the teens to shore, Bureau Chief Amy Scheller said.
Scheller said two of the boys were wearing life jackets, but the third was not. The teens were released to one of the boys' parents. They declined to comment at the scene.
Scheller said rescuers were glad to hear that two of the boys had personal flotation devices, “but all three should have had PFDs, at a minimum.”
Fire Chief Mark Puknaitis said it's dangerous for anyone to attempt to go rafting on the DuPage River in swift water conditions.
“It doesn't take a lot of water to make these rivers dangerous and it doesn't take much to cause people of any age to capsize from their boats regardless of what type of water training they have,” Puknaitis said.
Troy Cooper, owner of Naperville Kayak, agreed.
“When rivers are at flood stage, especially the DuPage River, they behave very differently than they normally do, so they can be extremely dangerous,” Cooper said. “They can be pushing debris, the currents can change, not to mention they're much more powerful than human beings, and in most cases they're at a level where the conditions are outside a lot of these people's skill.”
The water near the island where the boys were stranded Wednesday was roughly 3 feet deep, Puknaitis estimated, but it was rushing too fast for them to make it to shore. Authorities said a passer-by called 911 to report the boys were trapped.
On Tuesday, a 19-year-old man whose raft capsized was rescued from a tree in the river near downtown Naperville. Two other teens he was rafting with swam to shore before firefighters arrived.
Both cases required large emergency responses not only from Naperville personnel but from police and fire departments in nearby towns, Puknaitis said. During Wednesday's first rescue, crews from the Lisle/Woodridge Fire Protection District as well as the Bolingbrook and Downers Grove fire departments were assigned to the scene.
“We've got great teams that come out. I just don't want people to get the wrong idea, either, that ‘hey, it's OK if we get trapped because the fire department's just going to come out and rescue us and we're not going to get a bill,'” Puknaitis said. “These are a lot of resources that are committed here as opposed to if something else happened. We've got people in the water, so we can't deploy them elsewhere. That's the real drain on resources we're talking about.”
By the time the three boys were rescued Wednesday in south Naperville, a yellow kayak used by one of the three teenagers who capsized Tuesday afternoon had floated down the river from downtown and washed up near 95th Street.
Cooper, whose business provides kayak lessons and rentals on Naperville Park District's Paddleboat Quarry, said he understands the desire to get on the river when waters are high. But boaters need to be wary of underwater obstacles and debris a flooded river likely will be carrying.
Downed tree branches with water running through them can create strong currents that boaters often can't escape, Cooper said. Tree roots can trip people up and currents can keep them underwater if their foot becomes stuck.
“The best thing to do is to make sure you're with somebody who's experienced and understands the river,” Cooper said.
His business used to offer guided tours on the DuPage River, and he said he kayaked there with his family a month and a half ago when conditions were safe.
As a kid growing up near the river in Naperville, Cooper said he tested the limits a few times. But he discourages others from doing the same, calling it a “terrible” idea.
“I've definitely been on the river when I shouldn't have been,” he said. “You just don't want to have to learn the hard way.”
• Daily Herald staff writer Sara Hooker contributed to this report.