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Kayaker alive after dramatic rescue in Fayette County

KANAWHA FALLS, W.Va. — A Tennessee kayaker is alive after a dramatic rescue at Kanawha Falls on the Kanawha River in Fayette County early Monday morning.

State Division of Natural Resources Police Captain Woody Brogan said Samuel Davis was kayaking alone Sunday when at abut 7:30 p.m. someone spotted his kayak and his truck but not Davis.

Brogan said a search began but after several hours there was no sign of Davis and authorities thought he had drowned. Captain Brogan said whitewater expert Corey Lilly and others were discussing the efforts on social media and Lilly came to the scene and said Davis may be stuck in a crevice behind a waterfall.

“He was very adamant, got in his vehicle, drove to this location with his two friends and said, ‘Listen, we know where this guy’s at,” Brogan told MetroNews. “They were adamant and they convinced the (DNR) officer to allow them to go out and take a peak. Thank goodness the officer made the right call.”

Lilly and friends Steven Wright and Paul Griffin heard Davis screaming from behind the waterfall. Brogan said the Fayette County Swiftwater Rescue Team was then able to perform a dramatic rescue at that ended with Davis being pulled out at just after 1 a.m. Monday.

“They worked together to utilize some rafts and to get up underneath the waterfall and lower a rope down and tie around Mr. Davis’ waist. It took a lot of manpower to pull him up out of that crevice that he was stuck in,” Brogan said.

Davis was suffering from hypothermia and Brogan said there’s no doubt he would have died had not Lilly and his friends come to the scene. Brogan said Lilly’s experience on the rivers of Fayette County had included other rescues in that crevice when the water level is at the level it was Sunday.

“He’s a professional whitewater athlete and basically his training and his knowledge and his attitude that he knew that’s where Mr. Davis was located,” Brogan said.

Davis is hospitalized and is expected to make a full recovery.





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