Two people were taken to hospitals after a raft overturned Sunday on the Youghiogheny River in Ohiopyle State Park, according to a statement from the state Department of Conservation and Natural Resources.
Park staff and local first responders were called to the Middle Yough in Henry Clay Township around 1 p.m. for a water rescue, according to DCNR officials and TribLive news partner WTAE.
A rental raft on an unguided trip overturned in high water conditions, affecting seven people, officials said.
The nature of the injuries suffered by the two people taken to hospitals were not released.
An accident report in the American Whitewater database indicated a 5-year-old was among those hospitalized. The incident happened at Ramcat Rapids, according to the report.
The 9-mile Middle Yough runs between Confluence and Ohiopyle, and carries Class II rapids as well as sections of calm water. It’s billed as an option for families and rafters with little to no experience by commercial outfitters in Ohiopyle. Visitors can book guided trips on the Middle Yough with the outfitters or rent equipment.
Ramcat Rapids is the first rapid in the Middle Yough, near a popular put-in off Ramcat Road. A description of Ramcat Rapids on the American Whitewater website indicates a hydraulic can form during periods of high water.
As a comparison, the Lower Yough has Class III and IV whitewater rapids. In the summer, the water level averages around 2 feet in Ohiopyle, where the Lower Yough starts.
Around 1 p.m. Sunday, the river level in Ohiopyle was 5.8 feet, according to U.S. Geological Survey data.
A nonprofit advocacy group, American Whitewater operates the only publicly accessible statistics detailing whitewater injuries and fatalities nationwide.