SANDPOINT - Selkirk Fire Rescue & EMS rescued two paddlers who overturned their kayaks in the Pend Oreille River on Saturday.

Firefighters were summoned to the north side of the river shortly before 6 p.m. after receiving a report from an East Pacific Street resident who spotted the pair through a telescope more than 1,000 feet from shore.

"Somebody saw that they weren't moving very fast and it didn't look like they were kayaking. It looked like they were swimming," said firefighter Britain Whitley.

With the lake drawn down to its lowest winter pool elevation, Selkirk's Sandpoint-based fireboat was in dry dock. The department's station in Sagle, however, has an inflatable Zodiac at the ready.

The Zodiac was towed to Sandpoint and deployed at Third Street Pier. After being pulled from the water, the kayakers were taken to a Bonner County EMS ambulance for warming while firefighters recovered their swamped sit-in kayaks.

"They were definitely very cold to say the least," said Whitley, who estimated the water's temperature to be in the high 40s to low 50s.

Whitley said it's believed a woman overturned her kayak and didn't have anything to bail it out with, which prompted her companion to attempt to pull her aboard his kayak.

"He was trying to help her get onto his kayak and that's when he overturned," Whitley said.

Firefighters recovered one personal floatation device, but it was apparently not being worn when the kayaks capsized. Firefighters noted the paddlers' good fortune that somebody spotted them struggling from shore.

"Their guardian angel was definitely watching them," Britain said.

The incident also provides a reminder for people who are being lured outdoors by the favorable weather to make sure they're properly equipped when they take to the field.

"The weather's turning nice, but make sure when you venture out you are taking all the proper precautions," Whitley said.