Font ResizeNORTH WESTMINSTER -- A stretch of Saxtons River that is off limits to swimming because of a number of fatalities that have happened there over the years threatened to take the lives of two more people on Tuesday afternoon.
Emergency responders were called to Twin Falls near Forest Road after receiving a report of two people trapped in one of the pools.
According to the Vermont State Police, Amber Dwinell, 25, and her husband, Hunter, 21, both of Bellows Falls, accidentally went over a waterfall and received minor injuries, for which they were treated on the scene and released.
Windham County Sheriff's Capt. Robert Lakin said he and Deputy Robert Kenney were monitoring traffic on Route 121 when they got the call from dispatch. They were the first law enforcement officers to arrive at the scene.
"They were holding onto a ledge," said Lakin. "We just wanted to keep them safe until rescue could get here with the proper equipment. We got a rope and got it around them so at least they were stable."
Lakin said he and another individual wedged themselves into a rock for leverage so they could hold the Dwinells firmly. He said they eventually got a harness around them for extra support so they could devise a way to extract them from the pool.
Lakin said Twin Falls has a history of tragedy. Kenney said 22 people have died there since the 1940s. He added that a few dogs have also died there.
The Vermont State Police
Jeramiah Long, a 10-year-old and a cousin of Amber's, said the Dwinells had been fishing in a different spot on the river before going into a pool above the waterfall when Amber slipped and fell. Long said Hunter tried to pull his wife's arm to save her from going over but both were sucked down.
Eric and Sheena Thurston, of Westminster, were driving from a friend's home when Eric saw two heads go down the waterfall.
Eric said he got out of the vehicle and ran to the scene, where he asked Long if anything was wrong. When told the Dwinells were stuck, Eric told his wife -- who is also a cousin to Amber and Jeramiah -- to call 911.
Eric said he tried to use a stick to help the Dwinells get out but that they were too far away.
Domenic Poli can be reached at dpoli@reformer.com, or 802-254-2311, ext. 277.
