GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — Racks spread throughout Grand Rapids Bridge Street Fire Station hold wet suits firefighters used to help get a boat free in the Grand River Friday afternoon.
In total, they spent about four hours in the river rescuing three fishermen whose boat overturned at the Sixth Street dam.
"We typically have two or three of these a year, that's a minimum," said Lieutenant Casey Spielmaker of the Grand Rapids Fire Department.
This follows last months water rescue.
"It's a very difficult place to navigate if you're not experienced," said Parwey.
So what makes the Grand River, more specifically the Sixth Street dam area, so dangerous for boaters and fishermen?
"It (the river) comes down there with great force and hydraulic pressure drops down into the water and actually regurgitates itself back with extreme power, at least 50% of the power coming down," said Lt. Spielmaker.
Luckily, only the fishermen's boat on Friday got caught up in the current.
"The pressure is unswimmable," said Lt. Spielmaker. "And a lot in most cases on survival if you're in the water in that spot"
According to Parwey, the strong currents can reach far from the dam.
"You have currents that are recirculating coming back to the dam, probably that come out like 20 feet, if you're not careful in some spots, so at least they're probably even 30 feet," said Parwey.
Parwey stresses how difficult that section of the Grand River can be to navigate.
"You have to have a lot of experience in reading currents and rivers and bubble lines and different things like that," said Parwey. "To fish in areas like that, if you're not experienced in those things, I highly suggest you fish downstream and more safe, slower current to the other area."
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