Three female kayakers found after spending night on a rock

Three female campers were reported missing after failing to return to their campground following a kayak trip down the Red River Gorge near Stanton, Kentucky, on Monday. 

All three women in the group were avid campers and kayakers and entered the water around 1 p.m. Monday and expected to be gone until 8 p.m., reported WKYT.

However, low water slowed their trip and at around 9:30 p.m. it had gotten too dark to continue, so the group climbed onto a large rock and decided to camp out for the night. One of the women told WKYT that they all had plenty of water and snacks, and used their lifejackets as pillows.

The group had left their itinerary at the campground, and when they didn’t return on Monday night, the owner of the campground went looking for them overnight. After a failed search, the owner then called search and rescue crews.

When daybreak came, the group began to paddle again and received cell phone service around 10:30 a.m., when they called family members.

A short time later, the women were met by Powell County Search & Rescue crews who helped to lead them out of the gorge.

One of the women told WKYT that her group is extremely grateful to the folks at Callie’s Campground who called the rescue crews, as well as all of the rescuers who were out looking for them.

The women said they were not scared during the situation and that they were “tough women.” No one in the group was injured during the incident.