A fisherman stranded in the Mohawk River at Peebles Island State Park was rescued without injury after rescuers used a rope to pull him safely to shore. Two men had waded into the river to fish when the current suddenly increased, and while one made it back to shore, the other got stuck between a shallow area and the shoreline.
According to WNYT, troopers responded at about 2:48 p.m. on October 28 to a radio call about a fisherman in distress near the Cohoes park. A separate account from NEWS10 put the initial call at about 2:47 p.m., citing New York State Police. Either way, the response moved fast once the call went out.
Responders located the stranded man standing in shallow water roughly 25 yards, or about 75 feet, from shore. New York State Police shared video of the operation, which showed rescuers using a swift-water rope rescue to bring him in. NYSP Aviation stood by throughout the coordinated effort, and the man was brought to shore without injury.
A Multi-Agency Response on the Water
Troopers didn't work the rescue alone. They were assisted by the Waterford Police Department, the Waterford Fire Department, the Boght Community Fire District, the Northside Fire District, and rangers with New York State Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation, per the same WNYT account. The lineup of responding agencies underscores how quickly a routine fishing trip along the Mohawk can turn into a full-scale emergency response.
State police used the incident to renew a broader safety message for anyone heading to the river. Troopers warned that rivers and streams can be unpredictable and dangerous, and said water levels and currents can change quickly, creating hazardous conditions with little warning — exactly what the two fishermen encountered at Peebles Island.
What State Police Are Telling Anglers and Paddlers
Troopers urged people to check weather conditions and water levels before heading out, to avoid wading into unfamiliar waters or spots with swift-moving currents, and to wear a properly fitted U.S. Coast Guard-approved personal flotation device. They also advised against fishing alone and said anyone who becomes stranded should call 911 right away.
The Peebles Island rescue is not the only recent water emergency reported along the Mohawk. On September 29, the Halfmoon Fire Department responded to a person in distress in the river near Terminal Drive in Halfmoon, according to CBS6 Albany, which reported that a Halfmoon firefighter reached the conscious person by kayak while the West Crescent Fire Department's rescue boat helped bring them out of the water.
Other incidents on the river have had more varied outcomes. WNYT separately reported a water rescue on the Mohawk in Colonie on May 18 after a boat appeared to overturn, and the Daily Gazette reported on a separate case in which a man who fell into the Mohawk near Lock 12 while fishing was later recovered dead.
