Times Observer photo by Brian Ferry City of Warren Fire and Police departments and Glade Township Volunteer Fire Department responded to a water rescue call late Saturday morning at Betts Park.

A family separated on the Allegheny River on Saturday was reunited with the help of good Samaritans and first responders.

According to City of Warren Fire Chief Dave Krogler, a call went out for a water rescue at 11:13 a.m. Saturday at Betts Park. City policce and fire and Glade Township Volunteer Fire Department responded. A different call for the same situation brought out Allegheny Outfitters Owner Piper VanOrd.

A father was paddling down the river with his two children when he overturned his kayak near the bridge that carries Route 6 across the river at Betts Park. He was able to make it to the eastern shore and one of his children paddled back to him, according to VanOrd.

Another child continued downriver alone.

“We got a call at AO from a few paddlers that had left after them,” VanOrd said. “They arrived as dad had capsized and were trying to help get him back in his kayak unsuccessfully.”

“I drove to Betts Park to see if I could help him not only get back in his kayak, but give him a couple pointers on staying upright if he wanted to continue,” she said.

“When I arrived at Betts, two police vehicles raced by to the boat launch, so I followed,” she said. “An officer told me they had a report that dad and one child were upriver, but the other child had continued paddling and was now downriver alone – status unknown.”

With help on the scene for the family members already on land, she changed her plan and began working on tracking down the child who had continued downriver.

“I called our team at AO and asked if we had a van available to bring me a kayak,” VanOrd said. “We did, but they were still on their drive back from Kinzua Dam, so it would easily take 20 minutes for them to stop at AO, pick up a kayak, and get it to Betts.”

She needed to get going sooner than that. “Not knowing which child was downriver — the younger or older — I asked a group nearby that was planning to launch their own kayaks if I could borrow one of their kayaks, paddle, PFD, and they could use the one on the way from AO,” she said. “They didn’t hesitate, we exchanged cell phone numbers so it could get returned later in the day, and I paddled as quick as I could downstream.”

“I got visual of the 15-year-old around the bend when I was in the eddy before Mead Island,” VanOrd said. “I caught up to them about 10 minutes later. They were in their kayak with their PFD on, just paddling. I called and let the officer know when I had visual and when I reached them, and we agreed to paddle to and meet at Starbrick boat launch.”

The city fire department dispatched an ambulance to Starbrick, Krogler said.

The family had already received a safety speech from VanOrd before their trip. “They were attentive and asked questions, and the 15-year-old borrowed our guidebook,” she said. “The first thing they said when I caught up was, ‘You’re right. Mead Island is the first large island. It’s much larger than I expected.'”

VanOrd continued and updated the safety talk.

“We shared a good conversation about river current and the importance of pulling over to be sure to stay with your group if this ever happened again,” VanOrd said.

The ambulance met them at the boat launch and took the 15-year-old to Warren General Hospital for observation, Krogler said.

“We’re thankful everyone was unharmed and that we were able to help,” VanOrd said.