Fire department rescues tubers stranded on island in Huron River
Photo courtesy of Andrew Jameson
A young woman who was tubing on the Huron River needed to be rescued from an island near Delhi Bridge Wednesday evening, officials said.
Scio Township Fire Chief Carl Ferch said the woman and others in a group were drifting down the river on tubes when she ran into some trouble near the bridge, located between Huron River Drive and Railroad Street.
"They lost their tubes," he said. "The river gets pretty nasty there right by the bridge."
The woman suffered a minor injury and was stranded on an island, unable to get to the mainland about 75 feet away.
Ferch said the Ann Arbor Township Fire Department sent a ladder truck to the scene and parked it on the bridge. Crews extended the ladder down to the island and walked the woman and a man who was trying to help her over the water to safety.
View Delhi Bridge in a larger map
John Counts covers cops and courts for AnnArbor.com. He can be reached at johncounts@annarbor.com or you can follow him on Twitter.
Comments
Usual Suspect
Sun, Jul 7, 2013 : 2:50 a.m.
If you can't handle the river without the tube, you shouldn't be on the river with a tube.
Nicholas Urfe
Sat, Jul 6, 2013 : 9:59 p.m.
I love that the FD made them walk off the island to "shore".
Ann English
Sun, Jul 7, 2013 : 12:24 a.m.
"...mainland 75 feet away." As if the Huron were a strait, instead of a river.
jns131
Sat, Jul 6, 2013 : 7:26 p.m.
And who are these people that we need to have fun with at work on Monday with? Glad I never got lost in any woods. Would never live that one down.
themommer
Sat, Jul 6, 2013 : 3:09 p.m.
Artwork there or on the island should be looked into.
Honest Abe
Sat, Jul 6, 2013 : 5:38 a.m.
I'm just glad this did not turn out as bad as it could have been.
brian
Sat, Jul 6, 2013 : 2:24 a.m.
She should have watched Survivor Man, she would have known how to survive on that Island for 5 days.
TryingToBeObjective
Sat, Jul 6, 2013 : 3:03 a.m.
Build a shelter, build a fire, seek food- maybe dig for earthworms, or make a fishing net out of whatever you find nearby? Hopefully her matches would have been in a waterproof bag. Flag passing tubers for rescue? Spell out help with stones from the island.
Max Peters
Sat, Jul 6, 2013 : 2:17 a.m.
Any word on how drunk she was?
John Henry
Sat, Jul 6, 2013 : 12:34 a.m.
If you can't handle the Huron River, stay away from rivers.
LXIX
Fri, Jul 5, 2013 : 11:29 p.m.
Whatever works. I've heard another approach is to honk loudly at motorcycle cops and then stomp on the gas.. Or faint near the 18th hole at Leslie Golf course (hint - golfers won't see you between holes 1 and 17). Some might put nice clothes on over their cutoffs and go downtown with some trustworthy escorts. Or just visit the preferred Fire Station and introduce yourself for a tour - when the crew is not out saving tubers, of course. A batch of home-made cookies might just enhance the welcome received.
MsWebster
Fri, Jul 5, 2013 : 9:35 p.m.
When I read the headline, I was concerned that potatoes were stranded on the island.
A2Kimmie
Mon, Jul 8, 2013 : 2:29 a.m.
BEST comment ever!
mady
Sun, Jul 7, 2013 : 4:54 p.m.
Save the Spuds!!!!
Ann English
Sun, Jul 7, 2013 : 12:19 a.m.
I rarely eat potatoes, but when I read, "Islands in the Huron River," I thought the islands had to be near Gallup Park.
jns131
Sat, Jul 6, 2013 : 7:27 p.m.
I will remember that next time I go down the lazy river and get stuck.
arborani
Sat, Jul 6, 2013 : 3:53 p.m.
I had the same reaction.
rouzer
Sat, Jul 6, 2013 : 12:21 p.m.
Now that is funny!!!
OLDTIMER3
Sat, Jul 6, 2013 : 11:02 a.m.
That is why you read the article before jumping to conclusions, or was it just sic humor?
a2citizen
Fri, Jul 5, 2013 : 8:45 p.m.
How does one fail this simple rite of passage?
a2citizen
Fri, Jul 5, 2013 : 11:50 p.m.
"...this area..." Sorry...forgot where I was. You are right.
Boo Radley
Fri, Jul 5, 2013 : 9:14 p.m.
Many people do in this area. Especially every time it is warm enough for tubers, and the river is high due to a lot of rain.
Ann English
Fri, Jul 5, 2013 : 8:22 p.m.
Did the Scio Township Fire Department tell the Ann Arbor Township Fire Department about this emergency? It happened in Scio Township. The river does get wider in Ann Arbor Township, which is straight east of Scio Township.
Ann English
Sat, Jul 6, 2013 : 9:13 p.m.
TryingToBeObjective, I'm guessing that Ferch ASKED the AATF to send that ladder truck.
TryingToBeObjective
Sat, Jul 6, 2013 : 2:58 a.m.
"Ferch said the Ann Arbor Township fire department sent a ladder truck." FYI Ferch is the Scio fire dept. chief. Reading the article is helpful.
Ann English
Fri, Jul 5, 2013 : 8:17 p.m.
The bridge does look the Delhi Bridge, but this bridge is in a sunnier area than the Delhi Bridge is, what with all the trees around it. The photo more closely resembles a view of the bridge from the north, but East Delhi keeps going south, without turning east until south of Railroad Street. I definitely didn't think I would lose my tube, or that the man I was with losing his, when we rode the rapids downstream, west of the bridge, 30 years or more ago. We didn't, and the rocks stopped the tubes until we lifted them over the rocks. Those rocks are what remain of the old Delhi Mill, on the south side of the river. Yes, they're IN the river, not arranged beside concrete, like the rocks in this photo are.
Boo Radley
Sun, Jul 7, 2013 : 12:09 p.m.
Ann, either that, or it is an old file photo taken right after the new bridge was completed and trees have grown back around it ....
Ann English
Sat, Jul 6, 2013 : 9:11 p.m.
Okay, Boo, maybe it's been too long (a few months) since I drove to Miller Road from East Delhi Road. Or trees have been cut down since winter. Very nice traffic lights that sense when a car is approaching the bridge so that the lights automatically turn green.
Boo Radley
Fri, Jul 5, 2013 : 9:13 p.m.
The photo definitely is of the Delhi Bridge ... looking south from Huron River Drive.