Six teenagers were rescued Tuesday night after they were stranded on an island in Lake Lanier.
Forsyth County Fire Capt. Jason Shivers said no one was injured in the incident, which unfolded off the shore of Tidwell Park in northeastern Forsyth.
He said the fire department received a 911 call about 8:40 p.m. from a member of the group, which ranged in age from 16 to 18.
“They had been shuttling themselves out to the island from shore one at a time using a [personal watercraft],” Shivers said.
He said the first shuttle back to shore was successful, but the personal watercraft ran out of gas and could not return for the rest of the group.
“We responded with our pontoon boat and retrieved all of the individuals and brought them to shore safely,” Shivers said.
“This is a great opportunity to remind boaters and fishermen on Lake Lanier to always have full tanks of fuel and proper safety equipment.”
According to state law, it is illegal to operate a personal watercraft after sunset and before sunrise.
Shivers said that because the personal watercraft had no lights, it would have been nearly impossible for the group to use it to get back to shore after dark.
He said firefighters had participated in water rescue training earlier in the day and were prepared for the incident.
Once the boat hit the water, it took 20 minutes to rescue the teens.
E-mail Julie Arrington at juliearrington@forsythnews.com.
Forsyth County Fire Capt. Jason Shivers said no one was injured in the incident, which unfolded off the shore of Tidwell Park in northeastern Forsyth.
He said the fire department received a 911 call about 8:40 p.m. from a member of the group, which ranged in age from 16 to 18.
“They had been shuttling themselves out to the island from shore one at a time using a [personal watercraft],” Shivers said.
He said the first shuttle back to shore was successful, but the personal watercraft ran out of gas and could not return for the rest of the group.
“We responded with our pontoon boat and retrieved all of the individuals and brought them to shore safely,” Shivers said.
“This is a great opportunity to remind boaters and fishermen on Lake Lanier to always have full tanks of fuel and proper safety equipment.”
According to state law, it is illegal to operate a personal watercraft after sunset and before sunrise.
Shivers said that because the personal watercraft had no lights, it would have been nearly impossible for the group to use it to get back to shore after dark.
He said firefighters had participated in water rescue training earlier in the day and were prepared for the incident.
Once the boat hit the water, it took 20 minutes to rescue the teens.
E-mail Julie Arrington at juliearrington@forsythnews.com.