April 12, 2023, two teenage girls reportedly fell into the water, and they ended up on a large rock in the middle of the Vermillion River, a popular rock during the summer for kids to visit. The river was too high and flowing too fast, so the girls were unable to swim to safety, forcing them to call for help. They were eventually airlifted from the river to safety.

The girls used their cell phones to call for help and reached rescuers around 5:20 p.m. Hastings Fire responded and it was deemed that a rescue from the ground and or water was too risky and difficult which led to a call to the Dakota County Special Operations team and to the Minnesota Air Rescue Team (MART). As of 6:45, the girls were still safe on a large rock in the river while rescuers constructed the rescue plan.

The MART team used Trooper 8 helicopter, a long line and rescue personnel to reach the two teens in the river valley. They were rescued just before 7:00 p.m. Because they are teenagers, their names cannot be released.

With the rising waters of area rivers, officials issued a reminder for people to stay back, this includes keeping pets and children away from the water. Currents are moving faster than they appear and the undertow is especially dangerous.