BULLITT COUNTY, Ky. (WHAS11) – Every weekend dozens take on Salt River by tube, renting from the "Amazing Lazy River", which provides a tube and transportation back to your car but no guides for the rides.
Officials report they don't typically have issues with the business, but on Saturday multiple 911 calls reported lost or missing tubers.
Shepherdsville Fire Chief Layne Troutman said his department was one of five agencies working to find the missing people.
"We searched all the way up to Ft. Knox in the river, we came back, we had the helicopter search those areas also, we walked the river for probably a mile from the bridge at Preston Highway to search and see if anyone was there,” Troutman said.
The first sign of problems was posted on the business’ Facebook page, where an employee announced they would be closing early due to "dangerously high water levels."
Troutman said it was around that time that an employee called 911 to report some tubers hadn't made it back.
"We immediately started looking- we found rafts, Troutman said.
Those rafts belonged to people said to have "self-rescued" by climbing out of the water, up the river bank and somehow making it home.
But others were still missing.
Hours later dispatch received a second 911 call. This time it was from a woman on the river, who said she and others were lost, and had been floating for eight hours.
"The helicopter did locate them – Ft. Knox swift water team reached 10 people that were stranded”, Troutman said.
Some of those rescued needed medical attention and other were dehydrated.
The hot conditions and treacherous terrain made it a trying rescue, even for the professionals.
"Just being in the suits all day and searching- it was really intense,” Troutman said.
Investigators say they are still unsure what happened and if policy [or] procedure was followed.
WHAS11 reached out to the business, asking about regulations but our questions were not answered.
The company did release a statement:
“We sincerely thank the emergency personnel who assisted people from the river on Saturday. We are looking into these events and will continue to cooperate with all involved parties.“
Officials report this investigation is still on-going. They say criminal charges are possible if negligence is found.
►Contact reporter Shay McAlister at smcalister@whas11.com. Follow her on Twitter (@WHAS11Shay) and Facebook.