Two people from Omaha were uninjured following a canoe accident west of Jefferson on Friday.

Greene County Sheriff Steve Haupert says at 11:28am, the Sheriff’s office and the Jefferson Fire Department Water Rescue Unit responded to an E-911 call of a canoe that capsized on the Raccoon River, near the Union Pacific Railroad trestle bridge, west of Jefferson.

“We did locate them within probably one-half hour of the 911 call.  They got caught up in a snag.  And they did manage to each swim to separate sides of the river.  And we did recover one of the gentlemen along the river bank.”

Haupert tells Raccoon Valley Radio that after 19 year-old Rodney A. Drzaic was pulled from the south river bank, his father, 54 year-old David E. Drzaic was picked up on the north bank by the fire department’s rescue boat.  Haupert warns everyone to stay off of the Raccoon River at this time because of the high water levels.

“Unless you’re familiar with the river and the area that you’re going to be floating, canoeing or kayaking for those snags and other things; for someone not knowing the river and where the dangerous spots in the river are, it’s probably just not a good idea to be out on it right now.”

Both men were uninjured and because they were camping as they were canoeing, they lost all of their possessions.