Around 5:00 pm on Monday, August 26th, Fresno County Sheriff dispatchers received an emergency call from a visitor at Lost Lake Park, located at 16385 N. Friant Road in Friant.
The caller said a man and his dog were clinging to a tree in the middle of the San Joaquin River and he was yelling for help. Deputies arrived and learned the 66 year old man was on kayak and it overturned while he was paddling downstream with his dog onboard.
The sheriff’s helicopter, EAGLE One, arrived and quickly found the stranded man in the middle of the river. The crew relayed information to patrol deputies on shore. Deputies Robert Mehling and Corey Holston of the Swift Water Rescue Team deployed safety gear in an attempt to save the man. Deputies first rescued the 90 lb. female Boxer, safely carrying her to shore. They then retrieved the man and were able to safely get him to shore as well. Neither suffered injuries. Both the man and dog were wearing life jackets.
