Firefighters describe rescuing man, children stranded in Alcovy River

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Gwinnett County firefighters and police rescued a man and 10 children from the Alcovy River at Freemans Mill Park Saturday evening. 

Someone called 911 to report a man and several children were stranded in the river rapids, worsened by recent storms. 

When firefighters arrived, they found 11 people in immediate danger, including a 15-year-old, barely keeping his face above water.

Stan Bowers and Ty Suber, with the Gwinnett County Fire Department, were two of the first people to arrive at the scene. 

"The 15-year-old at the top of the dam looked like he had his feet braced against the dam trying to keep from going over," firefighter Ty Suber recalled. "He had to stay so low in the water he was...barely able to breathe really."

"Just seeing the look on their face, they were in a bad spot," said Bowers. 

RELATED: Firefighters rescue man, children stranded in Alcovy River

Remarkably, fire crews were able to successfully rescue all 11 people from the water. All were taken to an area hospital as a precaution but no injuries were reported.