Orange Lake Fire Department members were dispatched to Orange Lake at 12:32 p.m. on Wednesday, March 8 in response to a broken down paddle boat. No injuries were reported.

According to Orange Lake FD Public Information Officer Richard Pisani, emergency personnel responded to a broken down privately owned paddle boat at Orange Lake. Orange Lake FD was assisted by the Winona Lake Fire Department in the rescue effort.

“As our units were organizing the response, the paddle boat did capsize and the two occupants were in the water,” said Pisani. “Our chief, William Lynn, had eye contact with them, never lost sight of them. He saw the two occupants clinging to the boat as he established the command post.”

Orange Lake’s rescue hovercraft was dispatched out on the lake and a personal rowboat also made its way out to assist in the rescue. The two occupants of the paddle boat according to Pisani were two males under 30 years of age and were members of a private surveying company.

The Town of Newburgh EMS and Mobile Life Support Services were also on scene and conducted their evaluations with no injuries to report.