Four teens pulled from river

Playing hooky is bad. Playing hooky on rocks in the rapids of a rain-swollen river is worse.

Four teenage boys were pulled from the James River yesterday just after noon at Pony Pasture in a rescue effort that brought dozens of responders, including 16 from the Richmond Fire Department, several police officers, and school truancy officers.

The youths waded into the fast-flowing James -- 7½ feet deep at the time -- and soon found themselves stranded on the rocks without life jackets.

As rescuers arrived, two of the boys were swept downstream.

With the help of a kayaker, the first boy was hauled in on a rope. The second was able to grab another rope thrown from shore. The fire department's river-rescue team launched a boat to bring in the others.

No one was injured, Lt. Shawn L. Jones said, but all four face potential charges for violating the city's river ordinance, which requires all users to wear life jackets when the river is above 5 feet. They could face fines and be held responsible for the cost of the rescue.

"You need to wear that personal flotation device," Jones said.

In the past five weeks, 26 people in Richmond have been rescued from the James, which has flowed high because of plentiful rains.

Contact Wesley P. Hester at (804) 649-6976 or .