Two out-of-the-area boaters found out the hard way Thursday morning where the Kankakee dam is located.

The two men were boating along the Kankakee River just east of the Canadian National Railroad viaduct near the South Washington Avenue bridge when trying to avoid the rapidly-approaching dam, lost control of their boat, capsized and tumbled over the dam.

Both men were taken to Provena St. Mary’s Hospital where they were being treated for hypothermia, said Kankakee Fire Chief Ron Young.

One of the boaters has been identified as Harry Smith of Maywood. The name of the second man involved had not yet been released. Smith was listed in stable condition.

Young said the department received a call at 9:55 a.m. regarding a boat plunging over the dam. When firefighters arrived moments later, they saw two men wearing life vests standing in the river below the dam.

At 10:07 a.m., the department launched its boat at Bird Park to get the pair out of the river.

“It was two guys not familiar with their surroundings,” Young said.