DOVER, Ark. — Emergency crews spent much of Saturday night and early Sunday morning searching for several kayakers who became stranded along Big Piney Creek after a medical emergency during a float trip near Long Pool.

The incident began around 6:20 p.m. Saturday when emergency responders were notified of a 69-year-old man experiencing chest pain while floating the creek with at least four other people. According to emergency radio traffic, the group reported they were near Pilot Rock and Graves Creek.

Emergency responders from Pope County Office of Emergency Management, rescuers from Martin Township, EMS Rescue and others attempted to reach the man and float him down to Long Pool Campground. As the evening progressed, however, the group failed to arrive at Long Pool as expected.

Around 10 p.m., rescuers received information that the group had become trapped along the creek. Crews attempted to use drones to locate the missing kayakers, but weather conditions and high winds hampered aerial searches.

Rescuers were able to reach two members of the group and bring them out of the area a little after midnight. The man suffering chest pain was transported for medical treatment.

Search efforts for the remaining three kayakers continued through the early morning hours, with crews using side-by-sides, boats, foot searches and drone operations while attempting to narrow the search area using GPS coordinates and cellphone information. They were found up-river from the original rescue call at around 1:30 or 2 a.m.

The remaining kayakers confirmed no one was injured in their group and spent the night in the woods. They were brought out between 10 and 11 a.m., according to Sheriff Blake Wilson.

Guthrie Boyd, assistant director with the Pope County Office of Emergency Management, said the rescue was a team effort that involved a lot of moving parts. The treacherous terrain and poor weather conditions in the dark of night made for a challenging situation. Boyd said he was glad all performed the rescue safely.

No additional injuries were reported.

The incident occurred following recent rainfall that caused water levels on the Big Piney to rise significantly. The creek had increased by more than two feet on area gauges during the previous 48 hours, creating faster-moving conditions than normal in portions of the river.