Canoe trip ends with car in river
EMLENTON, Venango County — A Moniteau High School graduate was able to escape peril Sunday after his car rolled backward into the Allegheny River with him and his dog inside.
Brandon Bailey of Clintonville, Venango County said he and several friends went out canoeing Sunday afternoon, using the boat launch on Fifth Street to get in and out of the water.
At 3:10 p.m. they were almost ready to leave. Bailey had his canoe strapped to the top of his 2004 Chevrolet Cavalier when the brakes seemed to give out and the car started rolling backward into the water. He was in the driver's seat and his black lab Easton was also in the car.
“I tried saving the car until I was about 20 yards into the river and then began thinking how I was getting myself and Easton out of the car,” he said.
As the car started to fill up with water and the current started carrying it downstream from the ramp, he said he was able to push open the door so both he and the dog could get out and swim to safety.
Bailey credited friend Brandon Schmoll with swimming out into the river to give them a hand. Both played football at Moniteau and graduated in 2014.
No injuries were reported and the occupants were able to self-extricate before emergency responders got to the scene, though the Emlenton Volunteer Fire Department's water rescue crew still had to help deal with the car in the river.
Several volunteers went into the water to hook up a tow line to the car where it had come to a rest about 30 yards from the boat launch, Emlenton Assistant Fire Chief Barry Louise said.
A truck from Hovis Towing was able to pull the car out of the water.
Though it hadn't been raining in Emlenton, there was rain in areas upstream during the weekend, which meant the water was more dangerous than usual, Louise said.
“Sunday it was up higher and moving a little faster than its normal current,” he said.
Later that day the Emlenton department also responded to a report of a kayaker who had flipped over, though the man was able to swim to shore and was uninjured, Louise said.
