Rescue on the Elk River: How a Kayaking Trip Turned into a Desperate Fight for Survival

Rescue on the Elk River: How a Kayaking Trip Turned into a Desperate Fight for Survival

Even in Alabama, late March is early in the year for fishing, but this was 31-year-old Caleb Bennett’s third outing of the season. It was midmorning on Good Friday, March 29, 2024, when he loaded his 10-foot kayak into his pickup and drove, fittingly enough, to where Easter Ferry Road crosses the Elk River, about 25 minutes from his home in Athens, Alabama.His was the only vehicle parked at the out-of-the-way boat launch, a simple clearing surro…