Seven Men Rescued From American River After Barge Capsizes

Sacramento Metropolitan Fire District crews rescued seven men from the American River after their homemade barge hit a tree and capsized Thursday afternoon near Sunrise Boulevard, Sac Metro Fire spokesman Scott Cockrum said.

Cockrum explained the seven males were traveling down the river in the barge when they lost control going through the area commonly referred to as San Juan Rapids.

“It’s not unusual for kids of that age group (teen-age to early 20s) to do this kind of stuff,” Cockrum said. “It was the first sunny day and they probably thought it seemed like a good idea.”

The barge hit a fallen tree, capsized and sent the men into the frigid water, Cockrum said. The seven men were then able to grab hold of the fallen tree until Metro Fire crews arrived.

“It usually takes about 10 to 15 minutes to get the boat in the water to rescue them and another 10 minutes to find them,” Cockrum said. “In total, it probably took about 20 minutes from the time we responded to the time we were able to get them.”

The water rescue team arrived sometime after 4 p.m. where they found the men holding the tree. None were wearing life jackets. The men sustained mild injuries, including some bruises and scrapes, Cockrum said.

“We post public information about the dangers of the river this time of year,” Cockrum said. “We just can’t get everyone to agree on the dangers.”