Two women and a girl in her late teens were rescued from an island in the Androscoggin River on Tuesday afternoon by firefighters from Brunswick and Topsham after one of their kayaks capsized in a strong current.

Capt. Matt Barnes of the Brunswick Fire Department said the kayakers were able to push a flooded tandem kayak to the island while the third kayaker, who was paddling a solo kayak, accompanied them.

“They got caught in a strong current and their (tandem) kayak overturned. The kayak started to take on water and they were unable to get the water out,” Barnes said. “They were novice kayakers and were just not prepared for such a strong current. I haven’t seen a current that strong in a long time.”

Barnes, who was in the Brunswick Fire Department rescue boat, said conditions in that section of the Androscoggin River – it’s a tidal river below the hydroelectric dam – were turbulent Tuesday. There had just been a release of water from the dam, which is owned by Brookfield Renewable Energy Partners, and the surge of water combined with high tide made for treacherous paddling. The dam is located upriver by Fort Andross in Brunswick.

Once the kayakers made it to the island – around 3 p.m. – they used a cellphone to contact authorities. Barnes said the towns of Brunswick and Topsham responded with rescue boats that were launched from the Water Street boat launch in Brunswick, located near the beginning of the Androscoggin River Bike Path.

“When we arrived (at the island) they were on the shoreline standing in mud,” Barnes said.

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The rescue boats brought the paddlers and their kayak back to the Water Street boat launch where they were checked out by medical personnel.

They did not need to be hospitalized. All three kayakers, who live in Brunswick and Lisbon, were wearing life preservers.

Dennis Hoey can be contacted at 791-6365 or at:

dhoey@pressherald.com


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