First responders rescues man from drowning

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GONZALES — First responders were able to prevent a second drowning in four months when they rescued a man trapped while kayaking in the Guadalupe River.

At 5 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 26, sheriff’s deputies, EMS/rescue and fire department personnel were dispatched to the Highway 183 river bridge in reference to a report of a man stranded in the Guadalupe River, Chief Deputy Jeromy Belin reported.

The report said the man was traveling downriver in a kayak when he got trapped in a whirlpool on the east side of the bridge, falling out of the boat in the process. Belin said the man was not wearing a life jacket.

Belin said first responders Cody Mikulencak and David Matias were able to use rope bags to pull the man from the water and hoist him to safety.

This is the second reported incident in the last four months in that spot on the river - the first incident claimed the life of a Houston man on July 29. The man was wade fishing on the east side of the bridge when he was swept away by the current and pulled underwater by the undertow.

“My advice to anyone who wants to get in the river is to know your swimming limitations,” Belin said. “If you’re not a strong swimmer or not used to that kind of water, don’t go in. If you’re in a boat or with a group of people, make sure everyone is wearing a life jacket. It’s not worth losing your life.”

Belin added that the sheriff’s office is looking into keeping rope bags and life jackets in their patrol cars in case of any future incidents.

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