Alice
Hamblin hugs her son-in-law John Peterson after he and her
husband, Mike Hamblin, and five children were rescued from the
banks of the Chattooga River early Thursday. [David
Williams Anderson Independent Mail]
By David Williams Anderson Independent-Mail
4/5/2002
WALHALLA — A 16-hour rescue operation
on the Chattooga River that included helicopters, around 50 searchers and a
volunteer kayaker had a happy ending for an Anderson businessman and his family.
Mike Hamblin, 61, owner of The Corner Bagel Shop on Greenville Street; his
son-in-law John Peterson; four of Mr. Hamblin’s grandchildren, including Mr.
Peterson’s son and daughter; and a fifth child were safely rescued from the
banks of the river Thursday morning.
They had lost their two canoes and spent Wednesday night in the woods wearing
only T-shirts and shorts while temperatures hovered in the upper 30s.
The five children were plucked from the river’s banks by two helicopters, one
from the Anderson County Sheriff’s Office and one from the State Law
Enforcement Division.
Three of the children were flown immediately to Oconee Memorial Hospital, where
they were treated for mild hypothermia and released. The other four members of
the group were checked at the hospital later.
“I experienced the peace of God last night, but had a few anxious moments this
morning until we got the message: Seven on a rock, all all right,” Mr.
Hamblin’s wife, Alice, said. Pulling a red jacket around her with her hands in
the pockets, Ms. Hamblin paced along Whetstone Road at its intersection with Chatooga
Ridge Road, where rescuers established a command post.
As she nervously awaited the arrival of her husband and son-in-law, who hiked to
a spot near Fall Creek to be picked up by a vehicle after the children were
rescued, Ms. Hamblin said “John Peterson, he’s one of my favorite
son-in-laws, you know — I have two.”
The children were delivered safely. They were 9-year-old Janet, who already had
a cast on an arm; her brother, 6-year-old Johnny Peterson; 6-year-old Robbie
Burgold, the son of a family friend from McDonough, Ga.; and Mr. Hamblin’s
grandchildren from New York — 10-year-old Peter Hamblin and his 9-year-old
brother, Jordan.
“They were spotted from the air at about 8:30 a.m. and gave the thumbs up,
which made everyone happy,” Oconee County Emergency Management Director Henry
Gordon said.
Mr. Gordon said Bruce Hare, a kayaker, volunteered his services and helped lead
the two adults out of the woods after the children were rescued.
The group rented two canoes from Ecoscape Adventures in Anderson and entered the
river at 1 p.m. at the S.C. 28 bridge that crosses into Georgia. They planned to
meet family members at the U.S. 76 bridge near Bull Sluice Falls, almost 21
miles away.
Rescue officials said the group obviously was not aware that the trip takes
experienced canoeists nearly 10 hours and should have been scheduled as an
all-day event. They also failed to register at the spot where they put the
canoes in the river, said Mike Crane, a ranger with the U.S. Forest Service.
“They were real fortunate,” Mr. Crane said.
Family members waited at the U.S. 76 bridge, expecting the group to arrive at
about 4 p.m., and later found Forest Service officer Charlie Blaine, who
initiated the search and called Oconee County rescue units at 7:40 p.m.
Dr. John Worthington, who treated the children at Oconee Memorial Hospital,
credited the adults and rescuers for their relative well being.
“They handled it well,” Dr. Worthington said. “They kept the children calm
and in the best condition possible given the situation.”
“We went canoeing, swimming, hiking, covered up with leaves and huddled close
together,” said Mr. Hamblin, who had been canoeing before but never on the
Chattooga. “I thought the river wasn’t as bad as it was. The children were
great, they didn’t panic.”
Mr. Gordon said searchers found a paddle late Wednesday night and later a life
jacket before the helicopter spotted the canoes Thursday morning.“
