SEVEN MILE — A Reily Twp. man has new respect for the Great Miami River after his canoe capsized in high, turgid waters.
Greg Dean said he decided to take the canoe out on the river on his day off Thursday, May 14. He ran into trouble, he said, after he realized the water level was higher than he anticipated.
Dean said he lost control of the canoe and it flipped. He hung onto the side of the capsized canoe and drifted with the river’s current for about a quarter mile.
A passerby eventually saw Dean clinging to the canoe in the area of Seven Mile Creek and West Elkton Road and called 911.
Several emergency crews responded to the call at around 5:20 p.m. About 20 minutes later, the canoe was spotted near railroad tracks near U.S. 127, but there was no sign of Dean.
Dean said he started getting cold and had to let go.
He wasn’t worried about losing his $300 canoe at that point, he said.
“The main thing is I got my life back,” he said. “I’m glad I didn’t take my dog with me today.”
Mike Farthing, of the Butler County Sheriff’s Office Marine Patrol unit, heard the call for help on his radio and responded from his home nearby.
Farthing found Dean standing on a sandbar in Four Mile Creek and Seven Mile.
Farthing said he put a life vest on Dean and waited for assistance.
The Butler County Sheriff’s Office and fire crews from New Miami and St. Clair Twp. responded.
A dispatcher said a dive team was called, and the sheriff’s office Air One helicopter had been prepared for deployment.
