Category Archives: safety

Boating, safety, Water, Wildlife

Beat the heat: Kayaking on Lake Natoma

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Kathy Lynn, of El Dorado Hills, went kayaking for the first time and wasn’t sure of what she was about to experience.

“Kayaking was always something I wanted to do,” she said. “I live so close to the facility and I thought it would be relaxing and fun. The only thing I was concerned about was getting into the kayak without it tipping over.”

Lynn is excited to do it again because she had a very enjoyable experience, she said.

“It was very relaxing and there weren’t a lot of people out on the lake the day I went,” Lynn said. “I am so happy I finally had the chance to get out there and do it!”

If you are looking for a relaxing day on the lake, but don’t have a boat, kayaking might be perfect for you.

At the reasonable price of $11 for non-Sacramento State University students and $8 for students, smoothly paddling through the water is a perfect weekend activity.

First when arriving at the Sacramento State Aquatic Center, you check in at the front counter and rent the kayak, said Brian Dulgar, the director the facility. Next, you fit yourself with a properly sized life jacket. Sizes range from toddler all the way to XXL, he said. The, you grab a paddle, get in your kayak by the water and paddle away for as long as you want.

“Kayaking is for everyone,” Dulgar said. “I have two daughters and they grew up here. They were exposed to water starting at 18 months old. We encourage all ages to try it and have the ability to become comfortable around and in the water.”

A nice thing about kayaking is that on a day with a nice temperature it can be an escape from life and an relaxing experience, he said.

More at FolsomTelegraph.com >>>

Boating, Rafting, safety, Water

Swift water rescue teams saving lives

Summer is a fun season to hangout on the river with friends for a day of relaxation in the sun, but sometimes in fast moving waters, things can turn ugly fast.

“A call comes out, and we respond to Tiscornia Park with an elapse time of about 10 minutes, said Michael VanCamp, president of DART, the Drowning Accident Rescue Team. “We get on scene and our Swift Water Team enters the water and starts a hasty search in the area that bystanders said they ‘thought’ was the area.”

Concurrently, VanCamp finds the person that actually saw the missing person. This took him about two to three minutes to locate the witness. The elapsed time is now approximately 18-20 minutes, he said.

“I perform the ‘Show Me’ portion of the interview and learn the location that the Swift Water Team was searching was off by about 30 degrees, VanCamp said. “Once the Swift Water Team adjusts the search area, they found the man within moments.  The team brought him up and to the shore. Once at the shore Fire/AMR took him. They started CPR and transported him to the hospital.”

This is just one example of many heroic efforts DART performs when they get a call about a possible drowning.

DART is a non-profit, all volunteer organization whose mission is to save lives and recover property from various lakes and waterways. They respond to all water related issues within Sacramento County as well as all areas touching Sacramento County.

“We’ve responded as north as Clear Lake and south down past Stockton,” VanCamp said. “During the summer season, we have a large amount of calls to Tiscornia Park, by Discovery Park, and up the American River.”

More at FolsomTelegraph.com >>>

safety

17-year old hiker airlifted with minor injuries

Amanda Lee, 17, fell 60 feet down a rocky hillside after hiking near the American River Thursday. She was soon airlifted by a CHP helicopter to Sutter Roseville hospital with only minor injuries.
Lee was with her friend, Hailey Cade, when Cade said Lee simply stepped on the wrong rock at around 1 p.m. near the Auburn Dam Overlook.
“We were hiking and trying to take a picture when she stepped on a rock and fell,” Cade said, holding a large camera, while her friend was flown off. CalFire suspected Lee had an arm injury, but was otherwise okay.
Units responded to the emergency from CalFire, Auburn City Fire, AMR ambulance and Auburn Police Department. Two California Highway Patrol helicopters arrived at first after participating in a training operation near Tahoe.
More at AuburnJournal.com >>>
Boating, Events, safety, Water

Folsom Lake rangers predict busiest weekend in years

State park rangers predicted Friday that as many as 75,000 people will visit Folsom Lake during the Memorial Day weekend to take advantage of the reservoir’s highest water level in years.

Ranger Ryan Steele said the crowd could be the biggest since the drought began four years ago.

“We’ve had such a low water level that the lake hasn’t been very enticing for everybody,” Steele said. “Now, they have the opportunity to come out here and really use it for its full recreational potential.”

By early Friday afternoon, cars and trailers with boats were starting to line up the Granite Bay entrance to Folsom Lake State Park.

On the beach at Beal’s Point, extra lifeguards are scheduled to be on duty.

The campgrounds are reserved for all three days of the weekend.

Myrna Bennett, of San Francisco, said her weekend at Folsom was just the start of a summer of campouts.

“Then we’re planning to go to Rancho Seco in Sacramento. Then we’re planning to go to Lake Shasta,” Bennett said. “And the other one, it’s (Lake) Tulloch.”

More at KCRA.com >>>

safety, Water

Body recovered from American River, Sacramento fire says

Crews recovered the body of a drowning victim Friday afternoon from the American River, the Sacramento Fire Department said.

The identity of the person, a male of an undetermined age, is unknown. The body has been turned over to the Sacramento County Coroner’s Office.

The body was discovered around 3 p.m. by a person paddle boating down the river near the Howe Avenue boat ramp.

“I saw a couple of feet so I got back to it to double check, and I see two hands floating up and mossy,” Mel Mendez said. “There was another another family of paddle boaters, and I said, ‘Can you confirm this? I think I found a body.'”

DART searched upstream from the Howe Avenue Bridge before the body was recovered, fire department spokesperson Chris Harvey said.

More at KCRA.com >>>

Bike Trail, Boating, Events, History, Rafting, safety, Water, Wildlife

California’s outdoor writers flock to Auburn, Placer County

They came. They saw. They were conquered – by Placer County’s outdoor attractions.

That was the consensus of local tourism industry spokespeople after 58 writers and photographers with the Outdoor Writers Association of California were treated to a variety of opportunities to explore and learn about Placer County’s outdoor amenities as part of the group’s conference Sunday and Monday in Auburn.

Bob Semerau, association president emeritus, had praise Tuesday for organizers and Auburn attractions.

“Experiencing the broad spectrum of outdoor adventure opportunities to be found in Placer County has given the membership a real appreciation for this lovely part of California,” Semerau said. “Fly fishing the middle fork of the American River with Grady Garlough of Rise Up River Trips highlighted the pristine and wild natural beauty to be found throughout the region. And the fishing was awesome.”

Mora Rowe, Placer County Visitors Bureau executive director, said Tuesday that many facets of the county’s outdoor tourism-based industry were presented to the organization in tours and recreational opportunities.

They included bass fishing on Folsom Lake, a tour of ancient geology and watersheds in the Foresthill area and target practice at the Auburn Trap Shooting Club. At the Auburn Quarry near Cool, experienced rock climbers were offered the opportunity to climb a cliff.

More at AuburnJournal.com >>>

safety

Hiker and his dog found alive after 3-day search in snowy Sierra

A 23-year-old Placer County man and his dog who had been missing for three days in the Tahoe National Forest were found safe Thursday after a rescue helicopter crew spotted a sign reading “help” made of Duct tape on the ground, officials said.

Cody Michael, of Rocklin County, and his German shepherd, Bauer, were found off the Cherry Point trail of the sprawling forest, 1.2 miles northeast of where the American River meets Big Granite Creek in Placer County, officials said.

Michael told officials he lost his way after the trail became covered with snow in the area about 20 miles west of Truckee (Nevada County).

“We always hold out hope, but every searcher has the worst in the back of their mind,” said Dena Erwin, a spokeswoman for the Placer County Sheriff’s Department. “To have a positive outcome was amazing. There were a lot of us in tears.”

More at SacBee.com >>>

Bike Trail, Boating, Fish, Rafting, safety, Water, Wildlife

Snowpack melting quickly in Sierra causes faster rapids

With temperatures in the 90s Tuesday, the water was raging along the North Fork of the American River thanks to fast-melting snow.

The raging waters are good news not only for rafters and boaters, but also for Northern California reservoirs, which are filling up fast.

Lake Shasta is 93 percent full Tuesday, thanks to a healthy snowpack. Lake Oroville is 96 percent full while Folsom Lake is 86 percent full.

More at KCRA.com >>>

Boating, Fish, Rafting, safety, Video, Water, Wildlife

Water flow great for rafting on the American River

For the first time in three years, the rafting industry has a chance to make a comeback. Water flow on the South Fork of the American River has returned to normal levels.

Drought seriously reduced the amount of water on the South Fork in previous years. Chili Bar Dam controls the water flow on the South Fork. Three years ago water released from the dam was reduced. Rafters could only float the South Fork five days out of the week for only three hours a day. This year Chili Bar Dam is releasing a steady flow of water seven days a week.

The higher water flow is also boosting business along the South Fork of The American River. Sierra Whitewater Rafting says when there is steady flow of water coming out of the dam, the company can now book multiple trips every day. This reduces crowding and allows flexible raft trip times for travelers looking to do a day trip.

More at abc10.com >>>

Boating, Rafting, safety, Water

River rescuers prepare for busy season in Sacramento region

As swimming weather arrives, local officials say they’re hoping to avoid a repeat of last summer, when more than a dozen people drowned on the American and Sacramento rivers – twice the average yearly toll.

Rescuers said the drought and dropping water levels opened up new sections of beach, luring some people farther out into river channels and toward sudden drop-offs, where strong currents swept them to their deaths.

That was especially true at a small section of Tiscornia Beach, a popular swimming area at the confluence of the region’s two big rivers.

Now, after seasonal rains and water releases from Folsom Dam, the Sacramento and American rivers have surged, running deeper and faster than last year. That poses a threat, too, said John Mohamed, a training officer and team leader for the Drowning Accident Rescue Team, commonly called DART.

More at SacBee.com >>>