Teenage rafters pulled from river

SNELLING -- Deputies rescued six rafters from the Merced River Sunday after they got stuck on a rafting trip.

According to the Merced County Sheriff’s Department, six teenagers got in the river at Henderson Park in Snelling about 3:30 p.m.

They called 911 when they got tied up on the river. After a short time, deputies in a helicopter found the rafters, and divers walked them out.

The teens suffered minor injuries and were dehydrated, but otherwise in good condition, authorities said. The rafts they were using were the type designed for swimming pools and unsuitable for river travel.

Authorities said in a news release they wanted to remind people “to avoid attempting to float down the Merced River as it is very treacherous and cold swift moving water that most people are unprepared for.”