MADISON, Wis. — Members of the Madison Fire Department’s Lake Rescue Team rescued a total of four boaters Saturday who had gotten stranded in Lake Mendota due to rough weather and choppy waters.
Shortly before 1:30 p.m. Saturday, MFD’s Lake Rescue Team was dispatched to the area near Farwell Street in Maple Bluff. According to an incident report, the boaters became stranded when rough waters caused by heavy winds caused their boat to sink.
Two divers entered the water and brought the boaters to safety. They were taken to Warner Park where they were subsequently treated by paramedics for hypothermia, according to the report.
Officials said the sunken boat was retrieved by the Dane County Sheriff’s Office and returned to the Warner Park boat launch.
A few hours later, at 5:10 p.m., the Lake Rescue Team was dispatched to the area between James Madison Park and the Tenny Park locks where two sailors became stranded when their sailboat overturned.
The sailors were rescued and brought to shore by three members of the Lake Rescue Team.
Crews tried several times to overturn the sailboat, but were unsuccessful. The boat, which had a damaged boom, spinnaker and main sail, was anchored in place and left so it could be retrieved when lake conditions improved.
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