Search and rescue crews rescued nine kayakers from Saline Bayou on May 29 in Natchitoches Parish.
Search and rescue crews from the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF), U.S. Forest Service, Natchitoches Parish Sheriff’s Office, Natchitoches Parish Fire Department and Winn Parish Sheriff’s Office (WPSO) were alerted around 9 p.m. on May 28 about the missing kayakers. The crews searched throughout the night when they found the nine kayakers along the banks of Saline Bayou before daybreak on May 29.
The kayakers consisted of a Girl Scout group from Dallas, Texas with three adults and six juveniles. After leaving the Hwy. 126 boat launch on the Winn and Natchitoches Parish line, the kayakers encountered a strong thunderstorm. After failing to arrive at their destination at Cloud Crossing Campground in Natchitoches Parish, friends and family members alerted authorities for assistance.
The kayakers were found by LDWF agents on foot with the assistance of a citizen on an all-terrain vehicle around 3:30 a.m. The kayakers were found using their kayaks for cover from the elements. LDWF agents were able to walk them out of the woods along the bank and to the Cloud Crossing Campground that was less than a mile away.