Capsized kayakers, clinging to trees, rescued on the Wapsipinicon River in northern Linn County

Several kayakers on the Wapsipinicon River were rescued by Linn County public safety officials Wednesday after their boats capsized northwest of Central City.

Shortly after noon, emergency crews responded to a call for a water rescue, according to a Linn County Sheriff's Office news release.

They found that of a group of six kayakers, three had been capsized by swift currents caused by recent rains. The kayakers stopped themselves from flowing down river by clinging to trees in the high waters. Emergency responders reached them with a rescue boat.

The other three kayakers were able to make it to land and wait for assistance.

The kayakers were identified as Samantha Shannon, 25, Brooke Bige, 28, and Amelia Fording, 25, of Cedar Rapids; Morgan Sickles, 25, of Urbana; Alysia Erritt, 26, of Davenport; and Jordyn Jackson, 23, of Savanna, Ill.

The kayakers were not wearing life jackets, but they made it through unscathed, according to the release.

The sheriff's office noted in the release that recent heavy rains have made local waterways run rapidly and filled them with debris. Officials urged people to use caution on the water or to stay out of local rivers and streams.