Kayaker rescued on the Napa River yesterday

My son said a helicopter was flying over his place yesterday.  His backyard goes up to the river.  He sent me this link;

http://napavalleyregister.com/news/local/stranded-kayaker-saved-from-napa-river/article_82885174-ded8-5bf5-873e-68b9259d48bd.html

It looks like he was just standing in the edge of the river. Why did they need a helicopter?

The river is nothing more than a creek really at that point.  But there is LOTS of brush and downed wood.  Maybe the water was high and they couldn't beat a path down to him? 

Good reminder that a drysuit will not protect you from hypothermia by itself.

I drove over the river at Trancas on Friday and it was swollen and moving pretty good.  I even said out loud to myself "glad I'm not down there".  The question I have is why even be in the river during a storm event like this?