Ann Arbor, MI – Ann Arbor firefighters are urging residents to use extreme caution on the Huron River after rescuing two juveniles Monday evening in the second similar water rescue incident the department has handled in the past two weeks.
According to the Ann Arbor Fire Department, crews were dispatched just before 6 p.m. Monday, July 13, to the Huron River near Argo Park following reports that two juveniles on inner tubes had entered the water without personal flotation devices and were reported missing.
Fire officials said the pair had gone over the Argo Cascades and into the main channel of the Huron River. Both juveniles were later located safely near Huron Towers, and no injuries were reported.
According to the fire department, the incident highlights the dangers of the river’s swift current. Officials stressed that once someone enters the main river from the Argo Cascades, they cannot safely swim back against the current.
The department emphasized that inflatable inner tubes are not personal flotation devices and offer little control over direction or the ability to avoid hazards, particularly for children and young teenagers.
Firefighters also reminded the public that the Huron River is not a controlled water attraction like an amusement park lazy river. River conditions can change rapidly, and currents may carry swimmers much farther and faster than expected.
Officials recommend wearing a properly fitted U.S. Coast Guard-approved life jacket whenever on the river and avoiding entering the main channel without appropriate safety equipment.
The Ann Arbor Fire Department is encouraging anyone planning a trip on the Huron River this summer to make water safety a priority and wear a life jacket throughout their outing.
