SARANAC LAKE — Two teenagers were rescued from Chapel Island in Upper Saranac Lake Monday afternoon after their kayaks overturned during a storm.

SLVFD Dive Captain Brendan Keough said the teens, both males, were not wearing their life vests. They had vests in the boat, behind the seats, and were not able to reach them when they overturned.

Keough said the parents, who were watching from Sekon Lodge lost sight of the boys in the waves after they overturned. The boys swam to Chapel Island and the parents called in to report missing kayakers.

The Saranac Lake Volunteer Fire Department responded with 15 members, its dive team and one boat.

Keough said a camp caretaker who heard the call shot over in his boat and found the teens on Chapel Island. He waited out the storm with them on the island and then drove them back.

“It was a great outcome, luckily,” Keough said.

The fast-moving storm saw wind gusts up to 24 miles per hour, heavy rain and lightning strikes.

“That lake can pick up some pretty big swells,” Keough said. “Storms can whip up quick on that lake.”

He said the situation was scary, especially for the parents.

“The big takeaway is — Life jackets. Life jackets. Life jackets,” Keough said. “Life jackets save lives. They were lucky enough to get to shore, but it doesn’t take long to overwhelm somebody.”

He said it doesn’t feel like the coolest thing in the world, but he always wears his.

The Tupper Lake Volunteer Rescue Squad also responded. The two teens didn’t require medical attention.

State Department of Environmental Conservation forest rangers were called in but then called off after the boys were located.