Rescuers save stranded picnickers from Kahta canyon

ADIYAMAN - Anadolu Agency

Some 100 picnickers were trapped in a canyon in the Kahta district of the southeastern province of Adıyaman on July 17 when a nearby dam opened gates to release water.

People, mostly families, had been picnicking at the time of the incident and enjoying the coolness of the creek in a canyon near the historic Severan (Cendere) Bridge, under which the Cendere Creek runs. However, they were stranded in the canyon when water levels began to rise as the dam opened its floodgates.

They called local gendarmerie forces for help.

Units from the gendarmerie forces, local fire department, and medics immediately rushed to the scene upon the call and launched a rescue operation to save those who had been stranded.

The rescue teams laid a long cable to the other side of the creek to safely evacuate the unfortunate picnickers. Rescue teams carried the children in their arms to the other side of the stream.

The rescue operation took one hour to complete.

“We came to Kahta from Batman to visit our relatives,” said Çetin Duyar, who was one of the people stranded when the water released from the dam caught them by surprise while picnicking.

“We came to the canyon to have a picnic with our relatives but we had a very scary time,” Duyar added.

“I experienced something I will never forget in my life. While we were picnicking, the water levels in the canyon began to rise all of a sudden. There were dozens of children around us. We really struggled to protect those children. Thank God there were no casualties. We barely saved our lives,” he said.

Medics provided medical care to those who suffered inside the ambulances at the scene.

The canyon where the incident took place is located near the road that leads to the famous Mount Nemrut, which is a major tourist attraction.