Water Rescue: Gwinnett County Firefighters Save Man Stranded in Chattahoochee River

Gwinnett County firefighters from Fire Station 14 in Buford responded to a life-threatening situation over the weekend involving a man stranded in the Chattahoochee River. Emergency calls reported a person in the water up to his neck, screaming for help, without a life jacket and lacking swimming skills.

In response, the Forsyth County Fire Department requested mutual aid from the Gwinnett County Fire and Emergency Services swift water team. Upon arrival, firefighters utilized the Rapid S.O.S. application What Three Words to access the river location. Meanwhile, a rescue team was stationed on the Highway 20 bridge to ensure safety downriver, while Swiftwater 14 launched Boat-1 from the lower pool of the river.

Johns Creek Fire Department’s swift water units were placed on standby at the McGinnis Ferry and Highway 23 after reports indicated that the victim had lost his grip and was struggling underwater, leading to family members losing sight of him.

The Forsyth County Fire Department’s Swiftwater team entered the river with two rescue swimmers and successfully located the victim on the Gwinnett County side, where he was clinging to a piece of wood south of Bowmans Island.

The Gwinnett County Fire and Emergency Services Swiftwater team, aboard Boat-1 with three swimmers, retrieved the victim and transported him to the lower pool boat ramp for evaluation by paramedics. By 8:01 p.m., all firefighters were out of the water, and the scene was under control. The adult victim was transported to a local hospital for further assessment.