Hot air balloonists spot kayakers in distress on White River

UPDATE 9:30 p.m.: Rescuers have made contact with the kayakers. They are reported to be hiking out from the area.

ORIGINAL STORY: A rescue helicopter and swift boat are on their way to the White River Wednesday night to aid kayakers in distress.

The kayakers were first spotted by people floating above them in a hot air balloon, the Pierce County Sheriff’s Department said.

Rescuers in King County’s Guardian One helicopter as well as the Pierce County Swiftwater Rescue Team are on their way to the kayakers, said Sheriff’s spokesman Ed Troyer.

The kayakers are near the White River Amphitheatre on the Pierce and King County line.

“We don’t know what the problem is because we can’t get to them,” Troyer said. “We can hear them yelling.”

Craig Sailor

The News Tribune

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Craig Sailor has worked for The News Tribune since 1998 as a writer, editor and photographer. He previously worked at The Olympian and at other newspapers in Nevada and California. He has a degree in journalism from San Jose State University.