Kayakers safe after capsizing in Lizard Creek
Mother, son and daughter uninjured in incident
Three kayakers were able to get to shore safely Sunday afternoon after being thrown from their kayaks, according to Sgt. Jayson Heesch, with the Webster County Sheriff’s Department.
A mother and her two older children were reported missing upstream from Amigo’s on Lizard Creek in Fort Dodge shortly after 4 p.m., after falling out of their kayaks.
The mother was found near Iowa Highway 7 and her daughter and son were located near Martin-Marietta Aggregates on the western edge of Fort Dodge.
“Everybody’s safe,” Heesch said.
No one was injured, he added, and all were wearing life jackets and able to get to shore on their own.
The identities of the three kayakers were unavailable Sunday afternoon. Heesch said all three were located within about a half hour.
He advised kayakers to stay off the river for now.
“It’s extremely dangerous at this point. It’s still pretty high,” Heesch said. “I would urge caution at this point until the water goes down.”
The Fort Dodge Police Department, Fort Dodge Fire Department and Webster County Sheriff’s Department all assisted in locating the missing kayakers.
This is the second time in less than a month that kayakers have capsized in the Fort Dodge area.
On Memorial Day, a young couple capsized in the Des Moines River south of the Hydroelectric Dam. Mika Dencklau was able to swim to shore. But her husband, Alex Dencklau, 26, drowned.
An extensive search effort involving local and state agencies, as well as a rescue team from Illinois, ensued over the next three days. Alex Dencklau’s body was found on May 31 by family members who were assisting with the search.