Missing kayaker in Placer County prompts questions about river safety
PLACER COUNTY — Passing kayakers are all smiles floating by Yankee Jim's Bridge.
"It just started getting busy," says David Zeiher, who has been coming up to this area for around 40 years. "More and more and more people coming up here."
This year, he's noticed a change in the river and worries about the people that may not be ready for it.
"Cold water in the spring is the worst part," he explained. "It comes up high. You can see how high it is. Normally, it's a lot lower in the last couple of years in the summer. People come up and they enjoy themselves but they get a little complacent and it's unfortunate."
This has agencies worried about trips upriver that can turn fatal.
"Once you get in, chances are very slim that you'll be rescued," said Placer County spokesperson Angela Musallam. "It will more than likely be a recovery, and that's what we've seen the last few weeks."
CBS13 saw it Monday. A Placer County Sheriff's Office helicopter was looking for the body of a kayaker that went down in the river over the weekend.
What makes it so dangerous? Up in areas of Placer County like Yankee Jim's Bridge, the river is too rough in spots for dive teams to enter and exit the water safely. In certain places, the sheriff's office has to rely on helicopter patrols, but by that point, it becomes a recovery operation instead of a rescue.
"There are certain locations where there's a drowning or somebody is seen being swept away into the water where our people just can't enter because it's not safe enough," Musallam mentioned. " Although our staff is so highly trained, that doesn't mean we can safely rescue you out of the water if you get in."
The concern about dangerous waters has prompted questions about shutting down recreational spaces. Placer County Sheriffs say it may be tough to cordon off sections of the river.
"There's no penal code that breaks and so we can't detain anyone for doing that. So our best resource is education," Musallam said.
Downstream near the capitol city, where rivers are more regulated, Sacramento County Sheriffs say it would take a lot.
"It really is a big ask for that to occur," Sacramento County Sheriff spokesman Amar Gandhi explained. "A lot of different entities have to come together for that decision to be made and they are extreme examples."
"Make sure you have all your safety devices," Gandhi said. "Make sure everyone you're with knows what they can and can't do."
While in Placer County where white waters have already led to tragic results, the advice is a bit different.
"We really do advise people to stay out, but if you're adamant about getting into the water, call your local river rafting company," Musallam said.