Anchorage firefighters respond to group who got stuck in waters trying to walk between Kincaid beach and Fire Island

Anchorage firefighters rescued one person from a group who got caught in rising waters while trying to walk between a local beach and nearby Fire Island, an official said.

Six other people were able to wade to the shore of Kincaid beach and did not need assistance from responders, said Anchorage Fire Department Assistant Chief Erich Scheunemann.

A call about the group came in at 7:18 p.m. Friday. Seven people were stranded in the water about 300 to 400 yards from the shore, Scheunemann said. All but one made it to land safely without help, he said.

"The seventh person was floating in the channel between the island and the beach," he said. "They were rescued by one of our jet skis with a firefighter on board."

All seven people are being medically evaluated, but as of about 9 p.m. no one had been taken to the hospital.

According to beachgoer Jonathan Burnette, the stranded group actually consisted of teenagers – three girls and one boy. They ended up on an island created by rising waters and then they decided to jump in and start swimming.

Onlookers yelled at them to return to the island because firefighters were on the way, but Burnette and two others ended up swimming out to assist three of the teenagers. One of the girls got stranded, he said.

This happens every summer, Scheunemann said.

Last weekend four people attempted the same route and got trapped. The water rose up to their chests but they were able to get to the shore, the assistant chief said.

"The waters in Alaska are very cold even if it's a nice hot day," he said. "There's also the issue with the mud, which can be like quicksand. People can get stuck and drown if the water rises."

"The water should be fully respected."