10 teen kayakers rescued from river in South Jersey forest
Four adults were also assisted from the river.
More Stories
A group of kayakers, including 10 children and four adults, were rescued after becoming stranded in a river in Wharton State Forest Saturday.
First responders including New Jersey State Park Police and New Jersey Forest Fire Service responded to the location in the Pine Barrens along with multiple local agencies. According to a NJ Department of Environmental Protection spokesperson, the kayakers encountered obstructions while paddling on the Batsto River in Burlington County. Unable to continue, they notified authorities.
"The kayakers, 10 of them ranging in age from 14 to 17 and accompanied by four adults, were unable to proceed further and were assisted from the river," the DEP spokesperson said in a statement.
Due to the cold, rainy conditions in the area on Saturday, at least two of the juveniles were evaluated for hypothermia, officials said. None of the injuries were life-threatening.
According to the NJDEP's website, each year, thousands of kayakers and canoeists paddle down the Batsto River into the upper portion of Batsto Lake. It's a tributary of the Mullica River in Wharton State Forest.
