Two canoeists rescued from Little Miami River

CLERMONT COUNTY, Ohio (Curtis Jackson) -- A dramatic rescue on the Little Miami River Tuesday, March 31. A fierce current tormented the canoe of a father and his teenage son. They were trapped on an embankment and forced to cling to a tree that likely saved their lives. It happened in Clermont County near Elk Lick Road and State Route-222. The father and son are faring better than their canoe after being rescued from a fast and furious current in the Little Miami River. They were trapped on an embankment with only a tree to save them from the torrent that swirled around them.Matt Kruse with the Ohio Department of Natural Resources said, "They were both hanging on to the tree. The canoe was dislodged from them, wrapped around the tree, bent in half. The two guys were in the tree standing there. We couldn't really communicate with them cause the water was so loud and the wind was blowing so we just let the authorities come down and take care of that cause we didn't want anybody else to get hurt." The Ohio Department of Natural Resources said the river was above normal and a chilly 40 degrees; conditions that make canoeing this time of year very dangerous especially in the section of the river where the men were trapped. Even longtime residents familiar with its flow fear the current that tormented the pair, describing it as practically impossible to escape."That's the strongest rapid in this area right there, right where they were at cause we wrecked there one time and there's just no way to steer when you're in that area especially when the water is up this high," said eyewitness Melissa Maloney.Their canoe was destroyed and one of the two showed symptoms of hypothermia. The incident serves as a reminder of the cold that lurks in the deep and dangerous water.Follow Curtis Jackson on Twitter @cjacksonwkrc, and LIKE him on Facebook.Follow us on Twitter @Local12 and LIKE us on Facebook for updates!