River Rescue 
Kern River, 8-8-99  

Two men are lucky to be alive after the raft they were riding in entered rougher waters than they expected.

One man was trapped in a substantial flow between two rocks but was pulled to safety by the other which "took some effort", said Captain Randall Griffin of the Kern County Fire Department. That man received several scrapes on his right arm and a bruised leg. Other than that both men came out OK, he added.

 
According to Captain Griffin, the two men entered the water about 2 miles below Democrat Dam and were only in the water for about 100 yards before their mishap. 
 
Democrat Dam is an area where commercial rafting businesses end their tours due to the trecherous waters down river.
 
The two men had just purchased their inexpensive raft and decided to try it out on the Kern River, said Griffin. 

The men, whose names were not released, were pulled to safety by members of the United States Forest Service and Kern County Fire Department.
 
Both men were wearing life vests when they were ejected into the water.  

203 people have lost their lives in the Kern since 1968. 

Be Safe! Several commercial rafting companies are located in the area. Those on the Web can be found by clicking HERE.
 
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