Two Men Rescued From Merrimack River — While Clinging For Life

MANCHESTER, NH — Manchester firefighters received multiple calls Saturday about two men in the Merrimack River, south of the Interstate 293 bridge, in very heavy rapids. The men were clinging onto items trying to keep from being swept up by the mighty Merrimack. One of the men was able to swim to an island near the Manchester water treatment plant; the other man was swept downstream.

Manchester and Bedford firefighters launched boats and watercraft to try to reach the men. NH Fish and Game and Marine Patrol were north of the incident searching for a victim of a presumed drowning Thursday night. They rushed to the scene as well.

MFD launched two boats on the east side of the river and one boat was able to reach the man on the island.

MFD and Bedford located the second man clinging to a tree in the middle of heavy rapids with no personal floatation device. MFD and BFD reached to the man to provide a floatation device. Once the man had the vest on MFD brought a boat close enough that the man could be pulled into the boat. The man clenched on to one of the rescuers as he was brought to shore where medical personnel were waiting.

The men identified themselves as brothers who decided to take kayaks in the river, but were inexperienced. Neither man had a personal floatation device on at the time of the incident. The kayaks were washed down stream. Bedford Fire / EMS checked both men for injuries and provided dry clothing to them.

The body of the missing man from Thursday night remains missing. Divers from Fish and Game and a boat from Marine Patrol continued to search Saturday.

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