Crews rescue 5 from the Lehigh

Five people were rescued after getting caught up in the rapid waters of the Lehigh River Sunday afternoon.

Rescue efforts began around 3 p.m. and continued for over an hour on the river between Walnutport and Treichler’s Bridge.

Diamond Fire Company fire Chief Michael Wentz said there were five people on rafts that got stuck up on the bridge, throwing them off.

Wentz said one person was at the tip of the island just south of the bridge hanging on a tree branch, while another was hanging on the farthest end of a tree branch holding on.

He said Diamond Fire Company used its boat to retrieve two people, while two others were able to climb out of the river, and the last one was found about a half mile down hanging on a tree on the Lehigh County side of the river.

Wentz said while the identities of those rescued were unknown, they included three woman and two men, with two of the women being from New Jersey.

He said there were no injuries. None of the five were wearing their life vests, which made things worse.

“It was bad; it was terrible,” Wentz said. “When the water’s like this, they shouldn’t even think about rafting or tubing.”

Also assisting were boats from the Lehighton Fire Department and Whitehall Fire Department, along with the Slatington Fire Department, Lehigh Township Fire Department, Laurys Station Fire Department, and Northern Valley EMS.

Wentz said that about an hour before that incident, they had another rescue effort where a man was stuck on the raft, got thrown off, and was hanging on a branch.

“The river’s moving faster than everybody anticipates,” he said. “Nobody should be on.”