Kayaking and canoeing can be dangerous on the Caney Fork River especially during times when the generators are running at Center Hill Dam.
Two river rescues took place over the weekend.
Dustin Johnson, Captain of the Smithville-DeKalb County Rescue Squad told WJLE that on Sunday a man and child who had been with others on the Caney Fork River below Center Hill Dam found themselves clinging to a downed tree after the swift current forced them out of their vessel. The man was actually holding onto the child while hanging on to the tree.
A similar incident occurred on Saturday when a couple of people were forced into the river after their vessel capsized. No one was injured in either case.
TWRA Officer Tony Cross urges boaters, canoers, and kayakers to exercise extreme caution, to wear their life jackets, and not to embark on any river ride while the dam’s generators are running.
“If you get on the water you really have to respect the environment you are in. Because of what they have been doing recently below the dam with all the generators running and several of the sluice gates open, it creates very turbulent water below the dam. If you are not a very seasoned kayaker, canoer , or boater you can get in trouble in a heartbeat. That happened Saturday and Sunday below the dam. Fortunately passersby were able to pull the folks who had overturned out of the water. Down on the river there are a lot of fallen trees on the banks and the current will get you into those trees and if you are in a kayak or canoe and you get swept into a downed tree you are in trouble and that’s what happens time after time. Just be really cautious about water conditions,” said Officer Cross.
Members of the TWRA, US Army Corps of Engineers, and Sheriff’s Department were also summoned to the scene,
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