Cacapon River Near Great Cacapon, WV rose from 500 cfs to 7100 cfs; from 2.5 to 8.5 feet. River is rated Class I-II. The reach of the Cacapon River where the incident occurred was: 2. US 50 at Capon Bridge to WV 127 (Bloomery) Bridge (Caudy’s Castle Section [Classic Run]).
28 Boy Scouts rescued from fast-moving floodwaters during river trip in West Virginia
The boys were later given pizza and hot cocoa at a nearby cabin while waiting for transportation home
By Michael Sinkewicz , Brie Stimson Fox News
Published May 24, 2026
A Boy Scout river trip turned into a rescue mission Saturday after fast-moving floodwaters trapped 28 scouts in West Virginia. The scouts were traveling along the Cacapon River in Hampshire County on Saturday afternoon when fast-moving water intensified unexpectedly, forcing the troop to head toward the bank. But the boys — from Fairfax, Virginia — soon found themselves trapped on the wrong side of the river.
Micah Campbell, who was with the scouts, told Fox News Digital the troop had planned a routine river trip before conditions quickly worsened following the storm. “We were doing a river trip and the current and the strength of the river turned out to be a little stronger than we thought,” Campbell said.
Campbell said the scouts initially moved toward land for safety before realizing they were stranded. “When some of the boys went into the river, we decided to call it off and go on shore,” he said. “And now we were on the wrong side of the river, so we needed some help getting across.”
Jeffrey West, whose father owns a cabin near where the scouts became stranded, said rescue crews were called to the scene. Watercraft eventually arrived and transported the boys safely across the river. Altogether, the scouts were stranded for roughly 45 minutes.
“It’s been a day,” West said with a laugh, adding that he had originally planned a “quiet weekend at the cabin.”