65-foot jump off Highway 49 bridge near Auburn ends in injury

July 1, 2016 admin Leave a comment

Ignoring warning signs, a man was injured today and airlifted to a hospital after jumping off the Highway 49 bridge near Auburn into the shallow American River.

The 46-year-old man jumped at 1:15 p.m. off the bridge into the water below, swam to shore but asked a woman 15 minutes later to call 911 because he was injured and encountering numbness, State Parks Ranger Guy Chrisos said.

The call touched off an emergency response that sent Cal Fire and Auburn Fire personnel to the confluence, about 2 miles below Auburn in the American River canyon. The man, whose name was not released by authorities, was placed in a backboard and carried by emergency personnel up to a waiting California Highway Patrol helicopter for transport to a hospital at 2:15 p.m.

Chrisos estimated the drop off the bridge is about 65 feet and the water below is perhaps 10 feet to 15 feet deep.

More at AuburnJournal.com >>>

Fire, safety, Wildlife

Trailhead Fire burning west of Lake Tahoe grows to 1,264 acres

June 30, 2016 admin Leave a comment

Nearly 2,000 firefighting personnel are battling the Trailhead Fire that continues to scorch hundreds of acres of land west of Lake Tahoe.

According to Califre, the blaze that’s burning in the community of Foresthill in Placer and El Dorado counties has grown to 1,264 acres as of 7 a.m. Thursday, and is now 12% contained.

It’s currently burning along the Middle Fork of the American River near Todd Valley. An estimated 2,600 structures were threatened by the blaze, and smoke from it began to filter over Donner Summit and into the Truckee area Wednesday afternoon.

Foresthill is roughly an hour and a half drive from Truckee; as the crow flies, it’s roughly an hour west of Lake Tahoe.

The Tahoe region is not in any danger from the fire.

More at TahoeDailyTribune.com >>>

Fire, safety, Water, Wildlife

Evacuations ordered in Todd Valley as fire rages in American River Canyon

June 29, 2016 admin Leave a comment

The Trailhead Fire was at 300 acres as of 9:30 p.m. Tuesday, CalFire said. The blaze began at 2 p.m. off Drivers Flat near Todd Valley.

Fire retardant lines are keeping the Trailhead Fire boxed in, though with little containment of its 250 acres in El Dorado County and 50 acres in Placer County. Mandatory evacuations continue given the steep and inaccessible terrain to firefighters.

CalFire has entered into a unified command on the fire with Eldorado National Forest with assistance from Placer County Incident Management Team.

There were 250 personnel, 48 fire engines, five crews, six dozers and three watertenders among the resources responding according to CalFire, not including the air tankers and other craft that flew overhead.

More at AuburnJournal.com >>>

Bike Trail, Events, Rafting, safety

American River Parkway Alcohol Restriction For ‘Rafting Gone Wild’

June 23, 2016 admin Leave a comment

For safety, the Regional Parks Director has issued an alcohol restriction on the American River from Hazel to Watt Avenues in preparation for a non-permitted event – Rafting Gone Wild – June 25, 2016.

In 2012, The Rafting Gone Wild event resulted in multiple arrests, destruction of public and private property, and presented a significant threat to the safety of the public and our community in large part due to the intoxication level of the participants. The event being advertised for Saturday has a strong focus on alcohol consumption, which contributes greatly to public safety concerns.

As a result of the potential risks to the community including park visitors, rescue personnel and law enforcement, the Director of Regional Parks has issued an alcohol restriction for June 25, 2016. Violations of the alcohol restriction will be strictly enforced.

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

Aerial spraying to control West Nile Virus scheduled

June 21, 2016 admin Leave a comment

The Sacramento-Yolo Mosquito and Vector Control District announced today that aerial treatment for mosquitoes that carry the potentially fatal West Nile virus is scheduled for north of the American River (Arden-Arcade and Carmichael) on Wednesday, June 22, and Thursday, June 23, from approximately 8 pm to midnight. Vector Control reports the spraying is necessary to reduce the risk of human infection and protect public health.

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

West Nile Virus cases spike in Sacramento County

June 20, 2016 admin Leave a comment

Sacramento County is reporting an abnormally early and strong start to West Nile Virus cases, with numbers that are second highest in the state.

According to the California Department of Public Health West Nile Virus website, Sacramento County has 47 cases in which the virus was found in dead birds and 16 cases where it was found in mosquito samples.

In comparison, at this time last year, there was one case, total.

“We have one of the largest surveillance programs in the state, so obviously the more mosquitos you trap, the more that you collect, the more you test, and the more activity you are going to find,” said Luz Maria Robles, with Sacramento-Yolo Mosquito and Vector Control. “We have about 23 species of mosquitos within our two counties, and out of 23 only two are capable of transmitting West Nile Virus.”

Robles said the increased rain, combined with heat, is the perfect breeding ground for the virus-carrying mosquitos.

“Heat accelerates a mosquito’s life cycle so that means they more quickly go from an egg to an adult mosquito,” Robles said. “So this year it’s like we got a little bit of a head start, or we started the season off with a bang, because we did have rain followed by that warm weather.”

The hardest hit areas of West Nile Virus are north of the American River from Arden-Arcade through Carmichael. Robles credits residents as being an important tool by reporting dead birds.

More at KCRA.com >>>

safety

Full weeklong Rainbow Bridge closure begins June 20

June 14, 2016 admin Leave a comment

Major repair work to protect and preserve the century-old Rainbow Bridge in Folsom will require a full weeklong closure from 6 a.m. on June 20 to 5 p.m. on June 24.

Riley Street will be closed between Scott Street and Greenback Lane at Folsom-Auburn Road. Motorists can expect traffic delays and are encouraged to take Lake Natoma Crossing to Natoma Street to Riley Street as an alternate route. Detours will be clearly marked and message signs will alert motorists in advance of the closure before work begins. Local access will be available for Sudwerk’s Grille, the bicycle trail on the north side, and to the Powerhouse State Park.

Rainbow Bridge, which spans the American River at Greenback Lane, has provided a major connection for businesses and residents on both sides of Lake Natoma for nearly 100 years. More than 25,000 motorists cross the bridge daily. Work will include bridge resurfacing, barrier rail repairs and pavement repairs on the roadway approaching the bridge.

The closures are necessary to perform work on the Rainbow Bridge Maintenance Project. The rehabilitation project will extend the lifespan of the historic bridge and provide a smoother and safer drive for motorists. The $1.1 million project is funded largely by a federal grant administered by the Caltrans Bridge Preventative Maintenance Program.

More at FolsomTelegraph.com >>>

Boating, safety, Water, Wildlife

Beat the heat: Kayaking on Lake Natoma

June 8, 2016 admin Leave a comment

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

June 8, 2016 admin

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

June 2, 2016 admin

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 >>>