FISH CREEK, WI (WTAQ) - A Door County business is putting new limits on kayak rentals, after three people rented one of its boats and drifted for 14 miles in high winds on Green Bay.
Nicolet Beach Rentals is now limiting customers on where they can go, based on the numbers of adults and children renting their kayaks. The limits are designed to make sure there are enough people to get the boats back to shore if need be -- and if not, the store now has a jet ski to tow customers in.
Douglas Smrz of Nicolet Beach tells FOX 11 they want to keep kayakers "close and safe." That's after a vacationing mother and two kids were planning to be out for just over an hour in a small bay in western Door County. Instead, they got caught in windy waves of up to 2 feet -- and search crews kept trying to find the family until a Canadian air force jet found them 15 hours after they left the bay.
The family could not contact anyone for help, so the rental shop now provides free water tight cell phone carriers for its kayaking customers.
Also, Peninsula State Park is working on rule changes for kayak rentals. Those are due out later this week.
(Story courtesy of Wheeler News Service)