Vestavia Hills Fire Department Responds To Stranded Kayakers On Cahaba River

VESTAVIA HILLS, AL — On Saturday night, some Vestavia Hills and Mountain Brook residents noticed Fire and Rescue vehicles rushing to a scene with a raft topping a fire department trailer. The Vestavia Hills Fire Department swiftwater team was deployed late Saturday night to search for stranded kayakers on the Cahaba River.

Capt. Ryan Farrell with the Vestavia Hills Fire Department confirmed that the three lost kayakers were successfully located and rescued on Saturday night.

New Fire Chief Marvin Green wrote in a Facebook post on Sunday that he was proud of both the swiftwater team that worked to locate the kayakers.

"The team is well trained and equipped," Green wrote. "They prepare constantly looking for ways to improve their craft."

Green also commended in his post the department's drone pilots that assisted in the search and rescue effort. The department has a group of specialized pilots that are FAA certified and operate a drone donated to the department by the Vestavia Hills Sunrise Rotary Club. This was the second time the drone was used on the Cahaba River.

While the majority of the on-duty responders were assisting in the search, another call came in for a small fire that the department was still able to respond to quickly in a coordinated response from the Cahaba Valley and Rocky Ridge districts that Green described as "seamless."

"I am proud of the great work of this organization and the people that work hard to make it happen," he wrote. (For more updates on this story and free news alerts for your neighborhood, sign up for your local Birmingham Patch morning newsletter.)

Photo Courtesy of Marvin Green's Facebook