SALISBURY - A dramatic rescue effort Tuesday afternoon, June 16, on the Housatonic River at the Great Falls just upstream from the Falls Village power plant pulled two teenage boys to safety - but a third remained missing as of Wednesday morning.
State police and emergency volunteers from area towns came out to assist the Lakeville Hose Company in the search effort Tuesday. A state police helicopter was called in, as was a dive team from Goshen. Teams also came from Cornwall, Falls Village and Norfolk.
Those search efforts were called off at around 9:30 p.m. on Tuesday.
The missing boy, Kaelan Paton, 15, had just completed his freshman year at Housatonic Valley Regional High School.
He and a group of friends went to the river at the end of school Tuesday. According to unconfirmed reports from the scene, two or three of the boys went into the water and one was pulled by the current into one of the many underwater caves along the shores of the river. Paton apparently jumped in to save his friend.
As of Wednesday morning, his body had not been found.
The river beneath the falls has carved out trenches and caves in the rock. There are also several islands in the river, with caves and crannies beneath them. Many of the rocks are overgrown with trees and vines. Even at flows appropriate for recreational use it is a tricky place to swim, with unexpected currents that eddy around the formations.
But at 4,000 cubic feet per second, which was the approximate flow Tuesday afternoon (according to the USGS Web site), any use of the river is extremely dangerous. The median flow for this time of year is 1,060 cubic feet per second. The river has been especially high, fast and clouded with sediment because of the heavy recent rains.
By Wednesday morning, the police had given up the search. But volunteers were still gathered on the shore. The water was still murky and dark, although the level had apparently dropped slightly. However, searchers were concerned that the level and turbidity of the water will grow if it rains for the next four days, as expected.
The boy’s father, David Paton, is an expert kayaker and a longtime member of the Housatonic Area Canoe and Kayak Squad (known as HACKS), an area whitewater paddling club.
Members of the HACKS were out on the water and scouring the shore Wednesday, looking for signs of the boy’s body. They said they did not hold out any hope that he had survived. But, more than one of them said, “I can’t just sit at a desk today, I have to do something.�
On Tuesday, first responders had rappelled down the sheer cliff from the overlook off Housatonic River Road on the Salisbury side and brought two boys to safety with ropes. At least one was treated at the site for hypothermia. Two boys were reportedly taken to Sharon Hospital but were recovering.
Four more boys were in a group with emergency responders on shore about 60 yards downstream Tuesday, wet but unhurt.
Reports varied as to how many teens were in the original group. It is estimated that there were nine of them, and that they rode to the river on their bicycles.
Catherine (Palmer) Paton, the missing boy’s mother, urged the community to begin three days of positive thinking and said there would be a variety of informal gatherings for friends and family over the next few days. On Wednesday night, June 17, she said, there would be a fire lit at one of the Palmer family’s homes on Dublin Road, which overlooks the river.
She said there might also be an event of some kind this weekend at the Sharon Audubon Center, where David Paton is a caretaker and where Kaelan grew up and lived.
Updates will be posted as they become available.
Search called off for Sharon boy swept away in Housatonic River
FALLS VILLAGE — State police have called off search efforts for a boy missing since Tuesday afternoon, June 16, by the Great Falls of the Housatonic River.
Kaelan Paton of Sharon, who just completed his freshman year at Housatonic Valley Regional High School, apparently went to the river with a large group of youngsters from the school. The river, which was running high from the recent heavy rains, swept away three of the group who went into the water. Two boys were pulled out and taken to the hospital, but are recovering.
At around 9:30 p.m. on Tuesday, the police called off the search for Kaelan Paton, who had not yet been found. He is the son of Catherine (Palmer) and David Paton.
Housatonic Valley Regional High School Principal Gretchen Foster said that support services will be available for students, parents and community members at the high school on Wednesday, June 17, and Thursday, June 18, from 9 a.m. to noon.
Foster said that graduation will still be held Friday, June 19, as planned. The annual awards ceremony will be held, as planned, on Thursday, June 18.
-Cynthia Hochswender
