They came in hordes, ready for a wild time.

Several thousand rafters jammed the American River on Saturday for “Rafting Gone Wild,” tugging ice chests full of drinks and, in some cases, alcohol.

Showing up in skimpy bathing suits, the rowdy crowd of youngsters was unfazed by the massive police presence and a county ban on alcohol for river activities from Hazel Avenue to Watt Avenue.

By early evening, approximately 20 arrests had been made, said Sgt. Steve Dutra of the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Department. The first arrest occurred just before 1 p.m. when a man jumped off the footbridge at Sunrise Park with a backpack full of alcohol, said R.L. Davis, Rancho Cordova’s assistant police chief.

There were also four medical transports by 6 p.m., all due to alcohol, said Capt. Bryan Thomson, Sacramento Metropolitan Fire District spokesman.

Thomson said the criteria for medical evacuations were that people were “so intoxicated they can’t take care of themselves. They need to be evacuated.”

There were 39 medical transports last year, Thomson said.

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