Man saved in Bolton water rescue

BOLTON, Vt. (WCAX) - A Bolton man is in the hospital after being rescued from the rushing waters of Joiner Brook near Bolton Valley Ski Resort on Friday.

Authorities say 30-year-old Derek Taylor is being treated for hypothermia at UVM Medical Center after he was stranded in the river for several hours.

Stowe Mountain Rescue Chief Graham Govoni says emergency responders got the call just before 2 p.m. alerting them that a man was stranded on a rock in the middle of the river.

Crews say Taylor was swept downstream after jumping into the water to save his dog that had fallen in. The dog has not been found but Taylor eventually pulled himself onto a rock ledge and sat there for roughly three hours until crews could safely get to him.

“We pulled the boat into the current and maneuvered the boat using the high line system to move the boat to the rock where the individual that was stranded was located,” Govoni said.

It was a stressful rescue made even more difficult by the cold, wet and windy conditions.

“There was still rain coming, snowmelt from the mountain and the river was rising so that was really more of a concern to get to him as soon and quick as we could do it. And then of course, darkness,” Govoni said.

Govoni says another contender was the noise from the gushing river.

“So trying to communicate to one another over the roar of the rivers can be difficult,” he said. “Certainly the rain and snowmelt’s an issue just because you’re feeling a little bit more stressed when you can see the water level rising.”

Govoni says crews train twice a month to response to situations like this.

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