MONTICELLO, Maine — Two kayakers who had capsized in the swollen Meduxnekeag River were rescued by the Maine Warden Service at about 9 p.m. Tuesday.
Alec Dalton, 24, and Josh Ford, 33, both of Monticello, started paddling the "extremely high, swift conditions of the north branch of the Meduxnekeag River" in Aroostook County at about 2 p.m. Tuesday, according to a release from the warden service.
After about 30 minutes, their kayaks flipped when they ran into swollen rapids and downed trees, and they were both thrown from their kayaks, swimming to opposite sides of the river, about a quarter-mile away from each other.
Ford sheltered in a camp and called 911.
Wardens rescued both men after traveling through flooded and washed-out roads during torrential rain, at one point bushwhacking 600 yards to reach the river and then searching the riverbanks to reach Dalton, according to wardens.
"This had the potential for a deadly outcome due to the fast, high water; and the cold water temperatures,” Game Warden Lt. Tom Ward said in the release. “Wearing their PFDs saved their lives.”
Neither required medical attention and both were returned home.
The warden service asked kayakers who head into high water conditions "to use common sense and to always wear their PFDs."