On Tuesday afternoon, members of the Hastings Public safety department, including Hastings Fire and EMS, Hastings Police and the Dakota County Sheriff’s Department, were called to an emergency that resulted from a 17 year old male taking a swim in the Vermillion River downstream of the Falls and the old Rail Road Trestle. According to the report from Chief Mike Schutt, crews were called out to rescue the teen who was swept away in the strong current but was able to grab onto a large rock in the middle of the river and hung on until a member of the team could throw a rope to him and also a life jacket. Once that was done, the resuers pulled him across to the side of the river on onto the embankment. From that point, he was placed in a rapelling rig that brought him up the rock sidewall about 20 feet to a secure area. Shutt notes that the teen was not injured and was released to a family member. Other instances have taken place in this area, and the Chief notes that it is not a safe place to swim due to the rocks
and fast current. He thanks everyone for their contribution to this successful outcome.
