Hudson man recovers from ride down Willow River falls

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HEADLINES: Hudson man recovers from ride down Willow River falls Hudson High student convicted in THC case

Hudson man recovers from ride down Willow River falls
By Jon Echternacht
echter@rivertowns.net
A young man who took an unplanned trip down the falls at WillowRiver State Park was lucky to escape serious injuries, officialssaid.
Michael Van Ness, 21, Hudson, was at the top of the falls theafternoon of June 15 when rapid runoff water knocked him off hisfeet and swept him down a series of tiers to the bottom, said parkranger Darrel Richer.
Sheriff's deputies, EMS and park rangers combined to rescue VanNess after the ordeal and he was taken to a hospital for treatment.
"He suffered relatively minor injuries considering the situation,"said Richer. I think he was released the next Tuesday and suffereda broken wrist, a back injury and a gash or two."
"Unfortunately people play at the falls a lot," the ranger said."Every year we have to haul someone away with a broken leg. He saidVan Ness was apparently very familiar with the falls and wascomplacent. "Obviously drinking was a factor," Richer said.
The ranger said the river is given to flash floods and there was asizeable amount of rain about two days earlier up stream and whenVan Ness was playing in the water it was about at its peak power.
St. Croix County Sheriff Dennis Hillstead said two of his deputiesassisted in the incident. One deputy was first on the scene afterreceiving a call at about 4:04 p.m. from the emergencycommunication center. The deputy found the Van Ness at the bottomof the falls, according to a Sheriff's report.
The deputy was told that the man was at the top of the falls,slipped and fell and rode the entire falls to the bottom where hewas pulled out, complaining of injuries to his ribs, elbows andknee.
After assisting EMS in getting materials and man power down thefalls, the deputies turned the case over to state park officials,the sheriff's report said.
The falls is located within a 200-foot gorge about five miles northof Hudson. A park ranger said the falls moves down in a seriesterraces and the total drop is about 30 feet.