Two boys who fell into a swollen Eighteen Mile Creek this afternoon were swept downstream

for several hundred feet before pulling themselves out of the chilly water.

Rescue teams, including the Erie County Sheriff's helicopter, were called to the gorge at

about 1:30 p.m. after receiving a report of two youths in the water.

The boys, ages 10 and 11, were walking along the edge of the fast-moving creek and

apparently slipped in.

A younger, third boy who did not fall in the water was able to run to his father for help.

The father then called 911 on his cell phone, according to Acting Lt. Tracey O'Donnell of

the Evans Police Department.

The boys were able to keep their heads above water and floated several hundred feet toward

the mouth of the creek at Lake Erie. They got back on land before rescuers arrived, O'Donnell

said.

"They were petrified," she said. "They had the scare of their lives."

O'Donnell did not release the names of the boys.

Once out of the water, they went to a nearby residence for help. The boys were later

examined for hypothermia by a Rural Metro Ambulance crew and were found to be uninjured.

It was the second scare in the Eighteen Mile Creek gorge in as many days. The popular

fishing stream has risen dramatically in recent days due to rapid snow melt from the warmer

temperatures, as well as some rain.

The sheriff's Air One helicopter Friday evening rescued a jogger after he became trapped on

an island on Eighteen Mile Creek in the Town of Hamburg. The incident occurred just before 7

p.m. when the jogger apparently slipped and fell into the creek, Hamburg police and fire

officials said. The victim made his way to an island in the creek, but was unable to get back

to shore.

The helicopter plucked the man from the island and brought him to shore. He was not

injured.