Chattanooga firefighters were able to save a man from drowning in the Tennessee River, thanks to an alert driver crossing over the Chickamauga Dam.
Someone driving on Highway 153 called Hamilton County 911 Tuesday afternoon at 3:15 PM to report that they saw an overturned kayak and a man struggling in the water. He was far out in the water, sparking their concern.
CFD Fireboat 6 responded and spotted the party waving for help. The man, who was not wearing a life jacket, had decided to try to swim back to the recreation area when he realized his kayak had a hole in it and it started sinking. When firefighters got to him, he was extremely fatigued. The crew got him out of the water and onto the rescue boat.
Paramedics met them at the boat ramp and patient care was transferred to HCEMS. The rescued man was alert and conscious.
The fireboat then went back to retrieve the damaged kayak and brought it back to the dock and Quint 6’s crew returned to service.
This was the first rescue using the CFD's newly-acquired fireboats.
Officials said, "The two boats are to protect citizens and visitors on the water and today, the boat that was used in the response was a life-saving asset."
Captain Chris Blazek said, “Thanks to the Good Samaritan driving by who spotted this person in trouble and called 911 so we could quickly get to him.”