Freezing kayaker stuck in wetlands as helicopter, boats couldn’t reach her, NY cops say

A kayaker stuck in New York’s wetlands at night was rescued after hours of failed attempts due to poor weather conditions and inaccessible terrain, according to officials.

The kayaker, a woman in her 40s, got lost in an area of wetlands in the Hudson Valley, north of New York City, on Oct. 10 and spent the night braving the elements after her cellphone died, according to NBC New York.

Around 7 p.m., several local fire departments were dispatched to attempt to rescue the woman, according to a release from the Rock Hill Fire Department.

The Wurtsboro Fire Department was the lead agency, Steven Nevel, a New York State Police public information officer, told McClatchy News. It “requested state police aviation,” but the helicopter was unable to assist due to heavy fog.

Another helicopter attempted to lead rescuers to the stranded kayaker, but was unsuccessful on account of the darkness and dense vegetation, the fire department said.

Drones were also deployed to assist but were ineffective due to the thick fog, according to Mid Hudson News, a local outlet.

Rescuers, dressed in neon and reflective suits, were eventually able to reach the kayaker via airboat, but were unable to exit the “extremely dense” area, the fire department said.

The rescuers had to use a chainsaw to cut through dense vegetation and donned wetsuits in order to make it back to shore, leaving their airboats behind in the marsh, according to the Hudson Valley Post.

The woman was stuck for a total of at least 6 hours, according to the outlet.

She suffered hypothermia, and her body temperature dropped to 93 degrees, according to NBC New York. She is expected to make a full recovery.

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