--- description: Some 1,500 Americans were floating down a river that separates Michigan and Ontario when bad weather struck title: Hundreds of Americans Illegally Float Into Canada After River Party Goes Wrong image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt83f9c240df1cf87c/6988a3410a4a22d7df9cafff/st-clair-river.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  * [World](/section/world/) ## World Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close # Hundreds of Americans Illegally Float Into Canada After River Party Goes Wrong by [Daniel White](/author/daniel-white/) ## Daniel White Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Aug 22, 2016 10:06 PM CUT  A Canadian Coast Guard ship tows floatation devices used by U.S. partiers to the Canadian side of the St. Clair River between Michigan and Ontario on Aug. 21, 2016. A Canadian Coast Guard ship tows floatation devices used by U.S. partiers to the Canadian side of the St. Clair River between Michigan and Ontario on Aug. 21, 2016.Canadian Coast Guard/Reuters by [Daniel White](/author/daniel-white/) ## Daniel White Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Aug 22, 2016 10:06 PM CUT When a large group of Americans who were [floating down a river](http://www.reuters.com/article/us-canada-usa-party-idUSKCN10X216 "undefined") that separates the U.S. from Canada were sent off course by extreme weather, it was up to our neighbor to the north to save them. The Canadian Cost Guard said Monday that it embarked on a rescue effort for the group who were participating in the annual Port Huron Float Down on Sunday after heavy rains and winds sent them tumbling towards Canada without passports, Reuters reports. Some 1,500 Americans were riding along the St. Clair River on Sunday, which separates Michigan from Ontario, Canada, when heavy rains and winds deflated many of their rafts and inner tubes, Reuters reports. The Canadian Coast Guard said Monday that embarked on a rescue effort to save the group, rescuing many from the water and towing them to shore. Some were “terrified” to enter Canada without their passports and many were intoxicated, according to Peter Garapick, the superintendent of search and rescue for the coast guard. After the rescue, the Americans were brought to Sarnia, Ontario, where they were bussed back to the U.S. using the city’s public transit, according to Reuters. A Facebook page for the more than 30-year-old event posted online Sunday night, [thanking the Canadians](https://www.facebook.com/PortHuronFloatDown/posts/10154373436430279 "undefined") for their hospitality: “You’ve shown us true kindness and what it means to be amazing neighbors!” \[[Reuters](http://www.reuters.com/article/us-canada-usa-party-idUSKCN10X216 "undefined")\] ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/4462190/canada-rescue-americans-port-huron/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/4462190/canada-rescue-americans-port-huron/"},"headline":"Hundreds of Americans Illegally Float Into Canada After River Party Goes Wrong","datePublished":"2016-08-22T22:06:35.000Z","dateModified":"2026-02-23T00:08:05.863Z","description":"The Canadians rescued them","url":"https://time.com/4462190/canada-rescue-americans-port-huron/","keywords":["Michigan","Canada"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt83f9c240df1cf87c/6988a3410a4a22d7df9cafff/st-clair-river.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Daniel White","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/daniel-white/"}],"articleSection":"World","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt83f9c240df1cf87c/6988a3410a4a22d7df9cafff/st-clair-river.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"A Canadian Coast Guard ship tows floatation devices used by U.S. partiers to the Canadian side of the St. Clair River between Michigan and Ontario","caption":"A Canadian Coast Guard ship tows floatation devices used by U.S. partiers to the Canadian side of the St. Clair River between Michigan and Ontario on August 21, 2016. About 1,500 Americans ended up in Canada after getting hit by strong wind and rain. 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