NEWBERRY, S.C. — Two people had to be rescued from the Saluda River in the middle of the night Saturday after getting stranded.
At around 9:30 p.m. Saturday, Newberry County's 911 center received a call about stranded and lost tubers on the Saluda River in the Chappells area. Law enforcement coordinated efforts with the help of mapping and geographic information systems (GIS) to find where the tubers were.
Newberry County Sheriff Lee Foster said the part of the river where the tubers were found was "desolate."
"There is nothing out there. It's so far from public access that you can no longer hear the traffic," Foster said. "There was no ambient lighting, and you could only hear the coyotes. We tried turning on our sirens to let them know we were coming, but they didn't hear them."
The tubers were located in a remote area of the river near the Outfitters development between Chappells and Buzzard’s Roost near a river bend. The private road through the area was the nearest access point to this specific part of the river. However, the sheriff stated that although this road passes through the area, it does not directly lead to the river.
Together, officers with the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources (DNR) officers, Newberry County deputies, and members of Newberry County Emergency Services hiked to the river and were able to locate the tubers on the opposite bank of the river after 11:30 p.m.
A DNR officer and a Newberry County deputy waded across the river to them and established a line to successfully guide them to the Newberry County side of the river. The tubers were officially released to safety at about 1:30 a.m. Sunday morning.
The Saluda River stretches about 200 miles and connects to the Congaree River as well, where people frequently tube from the Riverwalk area in Cayce.
To do that, many people rent them from Palmetto Outdoor Center. But owner Michael Mayo said safety is their number one concern when they rent tubes to someone or see them coming to the Riverwalk on their own.
Mayo said there are a few key things anyone going tubing should remember.
"Always plan your float path, and let someone know what part of the river you plan to be in," he said. "and the biggest thing we ask is that you wear your lifejacket."
The couple that was stranded in Newberry County is safe and had no injuries, authorities said. Sheriff Foster asked that everyone in the Newberry County community and the Midlands take note of this incident and always remember a life jacket.
He also encouraged people to bring a fully charged cell phone and for people to look at the course of a river before going tubing.
