Man Rescued After Raritan River Floods Walking Path In Somerset County

SOMERVILLE, NJ ? A man who had been walking along the Raritan River had to be rescued on Wednesday when rapidly rising flood waters surrounded him and trapped him, authorities said.

The man had been walking along a path when the river rose, trapping him in a berm of bamboo trees, the Somerville Rescue Squad said on its Facebook page.

The rescue squad, responding to a report of a person "holding on to a log," put together a plan to wade into the water. The flooding was not driven by a current, but a team of rescuers, including responders from the Manville and Franklin fire companies and a water rescue RIT response from Hillsborough stood by downstream in case someone got swept away, authorities said.

Rescue Deputy Chief Mike Bigelow, 54 Ex-Chief Mike Lapotasky and rescuer Ashley Bowden from the Somerville squad waded out to the man and were able to reach the man, get a flotation device around him and pull him from the water without incident, authorities said.

He was taken to Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in New Brunswick with suspected hypothermia, the squad said.

Rivers in the area continue to be abodve flood stage on Friday as a result of rainfall from the previous two days. The Millstone River was more than a foot above flood stage in at least two locations with gauges ? Griggstown and Blackwells Mills ? according to the National Weather Service.

"Somerville EMS and Rescue would like to thank all the companies that responded," the squad said.