WASHINGTON CO. – Charges are currently pending against two people after the Indiana Department of Natural Resources say they snorted methamphetamine before embarking on a 12-mile paddling trip Wednesday on the Blue River in Washington County.
Indiana Conservation Officers launched an extensive search that lasted more than 7 hours after concerned relatives reported the paddlers missing that night.
The incident culminated with a successful rescue Thursday morning in Harrison County, where the exhausted individuals were found safe.
According to sources, the paddlers set off on their ill-fated expedition from Washington County on an inflatable raft, lacking essential life jackets for safety.
As the hours passed with no word from the paddlers, concerned family members contacted the authorities, prompting ICOs to commence a thorough search along the river’s course.
ICOs discovered the paddlers in Harrison County.
It was determined that the paddlers had made their way approximately 9 miles downstream, where they had broken into a camper to seek shelter for the night on Wednesday.
