Photo courtesy Prescott Fire Department with pictured Fire Captain Dan Bates and Engineer Cody Kennedy
About 3 PM on Sunday, May 14th, Prescott Regional Communication Center received multiple 911 calls of overturned kayakers on Watson Lake. The call came in with as many as 5 kayaks that were flipped over and people that needed emergency assistance. When the initial crews arrived on scene they encountered higher gusts of wind and reports of a mother, father and 12 year-old child that required help. There was a thunderstorm with excess winds at the point in time that the kayaks flipped over. Downed tree limbs were noticed in the Watson Lake and Watson Lake parking area.
Prescott Fire Dept. Station 74 launched their boat to assist the people in the water. In total, there was only the family of 3 that was affected and the others were able to get back into their kayaks and return to shore. The kayakers were wearing lifejackets at the point when the high winds occurred and kept them on the entire duration of the emergency. The family was found on the lake shore on the far side of the lake and they were brought back to the boat dock by the kayak rental company. Engine 74’s crew continued to search for any more people involved and found there were no other kayakers or paddleboarders needing assistance. In total, there were 2 engine companies, 1 battalion chief and an ambulance crew to assist in the rescue. A total of 9 emergency personnel were involved. Besides being cold, there were no injuries and everybody returned safely to their starting point on the lake.
That being said, the lakes surrounding Prescott this time of year are absolutely gorgeous to spend time on and in. It’s very important, however, that if you are on any lake on a paddleboard, kayak or boat, it’s very important to wear a US Coast Guard approved personal flotation device. Microbursts like this can occur without warning and while yesterday everyone was OK, the outcome could’ve been significantly worse if most, if not all, the people had not been wearing life jackets.
