Three people were rescued from the Rappahannock River late Sunday night.
Fire crews from Fredericksburg and Stafford County found three people stranded on a rock at 9:25 p.m. The family of two adults and a child used a cell phone to call for help.
The victims told 911 they were stranded east of the Interstate 95 bridge that crosses the Rappahannock River. Rescue crews rushed to the scene and later found them near the Virginia Outdoor Center located on Fall Hill Avenue, according to Fredericksburg Assistant Fire Chief Mike Jones.
Rescue swimmers used a raft to reach the victims and pull them ashore. All three were examined by an EMS unit from Stafford County and refused to be taken to a hospital, said Jones.
Searchers looked for a light emanating from the victim’s cell phone in order to locate the victims, according to initial reports.
The body of a 21-year-old Manassas man was pulled from the Rappahannock River earlier this month after he drowned. Those who venture out onto the river should always wear a personal flotation device, said Jones.
Those who kayak or canoe along the Rappahannock should also plan to let someone know where they plan to put their boat in the water and where they plan to take it out and say how much time they expect to be on the river.
“It’s a long stretch of the river north of the city where the Rapidan [River] meets and Rappahannock, and then past the city limits where they river on to King George and to Tappahannock. It helps us to have an idea where you are,” said Jones.
Having a flashlight, and a fully charged cell phone are also good tools to have, he added.
