Homer resident Obadiah Jenkins was spending his 33rd birthday last weekend kayaking Six-Mile Creek in Hope at the 10th annual Whitewater and Bluegrass Festival.
Kayakers hold a friendly race as part of the festivities.
Jenkins was taking a practice run through the class four rapids when a bystander filming the event, noticed another participant, Daniel Hartung, 64, of Indian Valley, flipped out of his kayak and became pinned under a log.
Jenkins wasted no time organizing a rescue effort to save the man’s life.
After about five minutes of trying to pull Hartung from the river, Jenkins jumped into the rushing water to save the man.
Jenkins and James Bennet, the bystander who noticed Hartung was in trouble, stayed in contact after the incident.
Hartung still is recovering, but is doing well.
The three men plan to meet for dinner and a few drinks at Jenkins’ farm in Homer over the weekend.
Bennett filmed the entire rescue and wrote about the experience for the Alaska Dispatch News.
