Three people who drowned in Lake Shasta in June and July might still be alive if they had taken one basic safety precaution, according to the Shasta County Sheriff’s Office.
Members of the sheriff’s boating safety unit are working to reduce the number of people hurt or killed on Redding area waters following three drownings, a fourth death and multiple rescues in June and July.
“The number of drownings this year are not unusual,” said sheriff’s spokesperson Tim Mapes, and “…emergencies can happen for any number of reasons.”
However, those three drownings “most likely would have been prevented by those involved wearing life jackets,” he said.
Also this summer, a fourth person died after a boating collision. Again, safe boating practices may have helped change the outcome.
As of July 16, another six boaters survived after they got into serious trouble on the Sacramento River, Mapes said. Most of those serious incidents happened when paddle craft overturned or got wrapped up in vegetation.
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Shasta sheriff’s boating safety unit’s goal is to educate before boaters need help
The boating unit team includes two full-time personnel — a sergeant and a deputy — and a rotation of part time deputies who help. It patrols all Shasta County waterways except Whiskeytown Lake, according to the sheriff’s office.
The team makes headlines when someone dies or is rescued from a potentially life-threatening situation, but smaller incidents happen just about every day, Mapes said. The boating unit responds to dozens of calls for help when boaters lose their oars, paddles or other equipment in the water, or just need help getting back to shore.
Aside from rescuing people after they get into trouble, the unit’s job is to head off problems by teaching boaters and swimmers about safety before they launch or jump in the water. That happens through public water safety messages on social media and public outreach events, Mapes said. Deputies also try to head off problems during teachable moments like boating inspections and law enforcement while patrolling on the water.
Team members want “nothing more than to see the public enjoy our waterways and then get home safely,” Mapes said, not to snuff people’s fun. To do that, boaters should take basic steps to keep their Lake Shasta or Sacramento River excursion from potentially turning tragic.
Members of the boating unit are available to answer questions, Mapes said. For more information, go to the county’s boating safety web page at shastacounty.gov/sheriff/page/boating-safety.
Jessica Skropanic is a features reporter for the Record Searchlight/USA Today Network. She covers science, arts, social issues and news stories. Follow her on Twitter @RS_JSkropanic and on Facebook. Join Jessica on Record Searchlight Facebook groups Get Out! Nor Cal, Today in Shasta County and Shaping Redding’s Future. To support and sustain this work, please subscribe today. Thank you.
This article originally appeared on Redding Record Searchlight: After Lake Shasta fatal incidents, sheriff’s office urges caution
Reporting by Jessica Skropanic, Redding Record Searchlight / Redding Record Searchlight
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By Jessica Skropanic, Redding Record Searchlight | USA TODAY Network
