Pontoon boat rescued in Red Wing dam prompts safety reminder

RED WING, Minn. (FOX 9) - After a recent water rescue near a dam in Red Wing, Minnesota, authorities are urging boating safety for the Fourth of July holiday.

According to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, on June 26, a pontoon became disabled and started heading toward the roller gates at Lock Dam 3. Dam operators launched an emergency boat to rescue the passengers. Thankfully, no one was injured due to their quick response and teamwork with responders.

“You don’t want that to happen to anyone, but when it’s someone, you know I think that takes another little piece of your heart,” said Summer Ryan, a friend the pontoon passengers.

Following the rescue, the supervisor at Lock and Dam 3 decided to flush the pontoon through the dam gate and it was later towed away.

“The vessel was actually stuck in the dam, so they wanted to make sure that once it was released out of the dam someone was there to recover it, so it didn’t sink and become salvage in the water,” said  Patrick Loch of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is advising boaters to be prepared for these types of situations, by carrying a marine radio, having extra gas, having a properly sized anchor, being aware of restricted areas and staying courteous to other boaters.