Yuma firefighters rescue stranded river groups in back-to-back calls

Dense river vegetation and missed exit points sent Yuma firefighters to the Colorado River twice in one afternoon, both times near West Wetlands, where crews had to pull stranded people back to shore.

The Yuma Fire Department said the calls came in about 2:30 p.m. Saturday, April 25, 2026. In the first incident, people had become stuck in thick vegetation after they could not get out of the river safely. Station 1 crews responded, and additional crews launched a watercraft to reach the group. Firefighters found them and helped bring them ashore. One person needed medical attention but declined transport to the hospital.

As crews were leaving that scene, they were sent to a second rescue nearby. That call involved teens floating on inner tubes who had missed their intended exit point and were left stranded in the river. They, too, ended up holding onto vegetation and waiting for help. YFD returned and assisted four teens to safety. One person had a minor hand injury and declined hospital transport.

The two rescues point to the same set of dangers that keep showing up along the Colorado River corridor in Yuma, especially near West Wetlands and other heavily used access areas. Dense vegetation can trap swimmers and floaters, currents can carry them past their intended takeout, and the river’s changing conditions can make a familiar stretch feel very different from one hour to the next. The City of Yuma says its warning signs are meant to call out those hazards, including an uneven bottom, strong currents, changing water conditions and debris.

The city’s water-safety campaign, developed with the Greater Yuma Water Safety Alliance after it formed in the fall of 2023, has focused on education, outreach, swim-safety messaging and free CPR training. Officials say drowning is the single leading cause of death among children ages 1 to 4 and a top cause of death among teens, a reminder that a casual outing can turn dangerous fast.

That warning carries extra weight in Yuma, where more than 3 miles of contiguous riverfront parks and trails and about 400 acres of restored wetlands draw regular recreation. The lesson from Saturday’s rescues was simple: before getting in the water, check the marked exits, pay attention to the signs and mile markers, and do not assume a float will end where you expect.