A child was rescued from the Cook Inlet offshore of North Beach in Kenai last Thursday night, according to a dispatch from the Alaska State Troopers.
At around 11 p.m. on Thursday, Laura Reid, a wildlife trooper with the state, was patrolling the beach alerting dipnetters of the fishery closure time when she noticed a child in the water.
According to the dispatch report, the 12-year-old child was “being swept down the Kenai River toward the open ocean.”
Reid ran into the inlet to save the child who — according to the dispatch — was barely above water at the time. After Reid reached the child, she started to drift down the river as well.
A dipnetter, Antoine Aridou, used his net to help Reid and the child back to safety on the shore.
Timothy Despain, a public information officer with the state Department of Public Safety, said in an email that Reid was not injured as a result of the incident, just cold after coming out of the inlet.
Despain said the current in the Kenai River is strong and the water is deep in many places, so anyone — especially children — should wear personal floatation devices when in or near the water.
According to the dispatch, the child was evaluated by first responders and then reunited with his parents.
Reach reporter Camille Botello at camille.botello@peninsulaclarion.com.
