SHERBURNE – A stranded boater clung to a fallen tree in the 40-degree waters of the Chenango River for more than hour Saturday after his kayak capsized just south of the Village of Sherburne.

Sherburne Fire Chief Patrick Lawrence said the man was pulled from the water by members of the department and flown by the Life Net of New York helicopter based in Sidney to the Mary Imogene Bassett Hospital in Cooperstown.

“Two kayakers overturned and were stuck in the water. The river was higher and faster than usual and one guy made to shore. The other got hung up in water, hanging onto a tree more than 20 feet from the west shore,” said Lawrence.

The incident began at around 11:20 a.m. Saturday when one of boaters accompanying the stranded man called 911. The group consisted of three men in kayaks and two women paddling in a canoe.

“The gentleman was in the water for about an hour when emergency services were alerted to the incident, and it took our crews about another 20 or 30 minutes to get him out of the water,” said Lawrence.

The Sherburne and North Norwich Fire Departments responded with the Norwich EMS. The Chenango County Fire Coordinator’s Office and New York Forest Rangers also responded with two air boats.