Kayaker safe after capsizing, getting caught in a whirlpool
A kayaker managed to escape with minor injuries after capsizing on the Mississippi River in central Minnesota and getting momentarily caught in a whirlpool.
The drama unfolded in Stearns County at 11:39 a.m., when two kayakers headed into the rapids near the Sauk Rapids Bridge and both capsized.
The kayakers were identified as Leo Johnsen, 23, of Sauk Rapids, and Anna Rosburg, 23, of Cambridge.
Two other kayakers saw Rosburg escape from the rapids and swim towards shore, but Johnsen was stuck in a whirlpool and was pulled beneath the water surface at least three times.
He was eventually able to get out and swim to shore with the help of a witness, and was taken to St. Cloud Hospital, where he was treated for minor injuries.