MAINE, USA — Two canoeists were rescued from Chamberlain Lake Sunday morning, about 90 minutes after their canoe capsized.
Shawna Robinson, 51, and Joshua Tinnel, 43, both of Nitro, West Virginia, were paddling a portion of the Allagash Wilderness Waterway when their 16-foot canoe filled with water in high winds and capsized at about 9:30 a.m., the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries & Wildlife said in a release Monday afternoon.
The two quickly became separated from the canoe and then used the SOS feature on their GPS (Global Positioning System) beacon, transmitting their location to the Maine Warden Service, spokesman Mark Latti said.
Wardens James Gushee and Mark Hutchinson and Allagash Ranger Jay Young took Young's Boston Whaler from the north end of Chamberlain Lake to the spot transmitted by the GPS and then found Robinson and Tinnel, who were floating with their gear in high waves, Latti said.
The wardens wrapped the duo in sleeping bags to treat their hypothermia and took them to the Allagash Ranger Station, where they warmed up before being released.
“If they were not wearing their PFDs (personal flotation devices), this story would have had a very tragic ending,” Maine Warden Service Lieutenant Tom Ward said. “Hypothermia sets in quickly with water temperatures this cold, and their life jackets saved them.”
The incident marks the third time in the past month in which Maine Wardens have rescued capsized paddlers who stayed afloat because they were wearing PFDs and safety gear.
