09/03/2026
🚨 Incident Update – Delayed Post
Leesville Lake Water Rescue
On September 2nd, at approximately 8:53 PM, Gretna Fire & Rescue was dispatched to 645 Waterside Terrace in the Pittsville community for a reported water rescue on Leesville Lake. The initial report indicated that two kayakers were stranded along the bank, with a third boater reported missing and unaccounted for.
Gretna Fire & Rescue responded with Rescue Engine 222, Engine 223, Transport 221, a Rescue Boat, Command 22, 4 Rescue Swimmers, and 17 total personnel.
Upon arrival, the two stranded boaters were located fairly quickly along the riverbank by search teams. Due to the steep cliff terrain, first responders were unable to safely extract them from the bank. The decision was made to utilize the rescue boats to reach the individuals and safely transport them out of the area to Brights Boat Landing.
Both boaters were successfully rescued and reported no injuries. The third individual was located and confirmed to be safe and already out of the water. All three individuals were ultimately reunited at the Gretna Fire & Rescue building.
We would like to thank our mutual-aid partners who assisted with this incident:
Pittsylvania County Sheriff Department & Emergency Communication Dispatch
Hurt Fire Department – Command 31, Boat 31, and Rescue Engine 311
Blairs Fire & Rescue – Fire 349, Boat 34, and Brush 345
Cool Branch Fire Department – responded with a drone
Bedford County – responded with thermal drone resources
What initially had the potential to become a complex water rescue operation was successfully managed through the coordinated efforts of multiple agencies.
Most importantly, all three citizens were safely accounted for with no injuries, and there were no injuries to any first responders.
A huge thank-you to everyone who responded, operated the boats, worked the shoreline, assisted with locating the victims, and supported the incident from the command and staging areas.
Great teamwork by all agencies involved! 🚒🚤🏊♂️👏
