Hillsborough County sheriff's deputies rescued a husband and wife from the Alafia River on Sunday, Sept. 27, after strong currents stranded their canoe.

The couple had been paddling the river when the current overpowered them, the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office (HCSO) said on X. They tied their canoe to the shoreline and called for help.

Marine Unit deputies found the couple, brought them back to Lithia Springs Park in Lithia and towed their canoe to the launch point. No one was hurt.

The Alafia River is a popular paddling destination for South Shore residents. The 10-mile state-designated paddling trail runs between Alderman's Ford Park and Lithia Springs Conservation Park in eastern Hillsborough County. The river's current can range from 1 to 4 mph depending on water levels and rainfall, according to Florida Paddle Notes, a paddling guide.

The Florida Department of Environmental Protection's official trail guide for the Alafia warns that when water is high and the current swift, the trail is not recommended for beginners. The trail is rated easy to moderate in normal conditions, but higher water forces paddlers to maneuver around tighter twists, turns and deadfall.

Sunday's rescue was the second time in two weeks that the HCSO Marine Unit responded to stranded boaters in Hillsborough County. On Sept. 15, deputies rescued two boaters near Morris Bridge Park on the Hillsborough River after their boat capsized and floated roughly 3,000 feet downriver. The pair had climbed onto a tree limb to wait for help. No one was hurt in that incident either.

HCSO did not release the names of the couple rescued on the Alafia River.

Lithia Springs Conservation Park is located at 3932 Lithia Springs Road in Lithia. Paddlers planning trips on the Alafia can check current conditions through the Florida DEP trail guide.