All of the scouts were checked out by EMS, and no injuries were reported.
GREAT CACAPON, W.Va. — Dozens of Boy Scouts and some parents were rescued from the Cacapon River in West Virginia on Saturday after the troop’s canoes tipped, separating them during a Memorial Day weekend outing.
Among the group of 31 scouts, 28 had to be rescued on Saturday, according to the Capon Bridge Volunteer Fire Department on Facebook.
Firefighters learned that the group had gotten out of the water and onto the riverbank, with everyone accounted for. However, the group was split up and scattered across three different locations along the riverbank.
Micah Campbell, who was with Troop 1865, said they host a canoe trip every Memorial Day weekend, traveling about 100 miles from Northern Virginia each year. It’s something the troop has done for the last decade. He said some parents who had been accompanying the group also had to be rescued.
Campbell told TV news station WUSA9 that they had gotten into the water and realized that they were not ready for the conditions that day, as the water continued to rise rapidly. A few canoes tipped, and some of the boys made it to shore, and that’s when Campbell said their training kicked in.
“This is what scouting is all about,” said Campbell, “We had trained for it, the scouts took care of each other.”
Three rescue boats from nearby Romney and Springfield fire companies were used to transport everyone to a nearby cabin, where the owners allowed the group to warm up. According to Campbell, the cabin owner, Jeffrey West, helped facilitate the call for the water rescue and continued to help bring the group to shore. West also handed out hot cocoa and pizza to help everyone warm up.
“You just help people, that’s what you do. I mean, if I was sitting on the other side, I wouldn’t want any teenage boys to go sit in the rain and freeze as you ride to finally find the way here,” said West. “You help people. That’s what humans do to humans. That’s all there is to it.”
All were checked out by EMS and no injuries were reported. The last unit was cleared around 6:30 p.m.