RIPON PD POWER PARACHUTE RESCUE
On Friday, September 11, at approximately 6:41 pm, the Ripon Police Department responded to the Stanislaus phone
contact with the Ripon Dispatch Center. The rafters advised they were too tired and cold to climb to safety, and did not
know where they were currently located.
The stranded rafters were identified as a 62 year old female Ripon resident and her 16 year old grandson.
Ripon Officers along with Ripon Fire Department personnel began a search of the area spanning from State Route
Highway 99 West to Jack Tone Golf. Ripon Fire Department deployed their Zodiac boat and began to search for the rafters
from the water, with several police officers and fire personnel performing a foot search along the bank of the river.
At approximately 6:50 pm, a request was made for an aerial search of the river from the police department’s powered
parachute. The pilot responded from off duty, and had the aircraft launched from LAN Park, located on S. Highland Ave.,
at 7:19 pm. The pilot located the two missing rafters at 7:23 pm, along the rivers edge directly south of Vera Ave., and
assisted by directing ground and water units to their location. Ripon Fire personnel made contact with the two rafters and
took them to safety utilizing their Zodiac boat.
The rafters were taken aboard the RFD Boat at 7:30 pm. The two Ripon Residents were shuttled to a river area that would
allow the rafters to be transferred to the Ripon Fire Department Ambulance. The rafters appeared to be cold, exhausted
and somewhat confused but otherwise they appeared to be in a fairly good condition. The Ripon Fire Department
transported the subjects back to the Fire Department building to be checked out further. Both rafters were uninjured and
were released.
http://www.mantecabulletin.com/news/article/7168/
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