Cape Girardeau couple rescued from sandbar

A Cape Girardeau couple spent Monday night stranded on an Illinois sandbar in the Mississippi River after their boat slipped away.

The couple apparently boated out to the sandbar about a quarter mile south of the new Bill Emerson Memorial Bridge to have a late lunch at about 3 p.m., said Cape Girardeau fire Capt. Mark Starnes. Firefighters boated out to the couple at 6:23 a.m. in response to a call from an observer.

When the two noticed their boat had floated south, they tried to flag down passing water crafts for help but no one responded.

"Several other boats went by, but they must have thought they were waving just to be friendly," Starnes said.