Four Stranded Rafters Rescued

Two men and two boys were rescued from the banks of the Illinois River by a Coast Guard helicopter on Tuesday after they became stranded during a weekend rafting trip.

Their raft sank Saturday in the remote river canyon, which is banked by rugged cliffs. They recovered most of their gear, and camped on the riverbank until they were rescued.

The Coast Guard identified the four as Nick Sherlock, 39, Casey Wnorowski, 13, Michael Bortko, 32, and Noah Horstman, 14.

The four were in good shape, said Petty Officer Joe Gardner of the Coast Guard’s North Bend Air Station.

Larry Sherlock, Nick Sherlock’s father, said the foursome launched Saturday for a two-day trip down the river. When they had not returned Monday night, family members reported them missing.

Coos County authorities called the Coast Guard on Tuesday.

A helicopter searched the Illinois Tuesday morning, but could not find them in the fog, Gardner said. A second pass over the river located the rafters about 10:20 a.m., he said.