A swiftwater rescue team from the Gwinnett County Fire Department rescued a man when he was surprised by rising water on the Chattahoochee River below Buford Dam Thursday afternoon.
Gwinnett County Fire Capt. Tommy Rutledge said in an email statement that the man - whose name was not released - was reportedly visiting the Chattahoochee for the first-time and was on a rock in the river near Settles Bridge in Suwanee.
Rutledge said the man did not know about the regularly-scheduled release of water from Buford Dam, so he was taken by surprise when the rising water and swift current reached his point on the river. He said the visitor lost his footing and was swept from the rock into the water.
Rutledge said when Gwinnett Fire-Medic 26 arrived at the scene just after 5:30 p.m., they found the man in the water and two bystanders trying to help him. He said those people also began to struggle in the swift current. He said Medic-26’s crew deployed a “throw rope bag” and successfully pulled the man out of river as he was being carried downstream by the current.
"This rescue is a testament to the training and quick action of emergency responders,” said Rutledge in the press statement.
As a precaution, the man was taken to Northside Forsyth Hospital for medical evaluation.
