Warm-up ahead, but dangers on rivers remain

BLACK DIAMOND, Wash. -- With yet another warm-up on the way for Western Washington, many water rescue patrols want to raise awareness about staying safe.

King County Search and Rescue says drownings and calls for rescues are much higher on area river than lakes. The dangers are very real, both above and below the surface. But, experts say the real danger is actually the water itself.

"It's so scary. You just have to be on alert," says mother of three Jenna Cannon. "All the time."

Cannon and her friend Krystal McCarty have a blanket down just feet from the Green River at Flaming Geyser State Park. Between the two moms, they're watching four young kids. The nearby water is running fast and high from a near-normal snowpack this winter, so there's no downtime for these moms.

"Hands-on, always hands-on," said Cannon as she monitors her toddler who is just barely walking age. She says  she has drilled her two older kids with water safety rules. "We tell them to never be near water without a life jacket or an adult right by your side."

She still watches them like a hawk, though. "You just can't ever take your guard down. You can't because it's a second and you can't take it back. It's terrifying."

For her friend, Krystal McCarty, she wont even think of floating the river in May.

"I won’t even go in the water until at least August, cause it’s freezing cold water. Yeah, it feels good, but it’s not even near time."

Kent Fire Department Capt. Kyle Ohashi agrees wholeheartedly.

"When the water saps heat, it saps your energy as well."

Ohashi says it's often his crews that respond when people don't heed the warnings about water temperatures in the upper 40s in these mountain rivers -- temps that paralyze muscles in only a few minutes with even the strongest of swimmers. This season, these waters have already taken the life of 17-year-old Jeremiah Smith, of Pacific.

And some dangers you can't see. Snags are logs and branches that pose a big spring problem lurking, often hidden, with the higher "spring flush" from the mountains. The debris moves with the changing water flows and can pop rafts and pin swimmers in the fast flow.

"If they are caught in those snags and are able to call 9-1-1," says  Ohashi, "assuming they even have cell service, they've got no point of reference. There's just forest all around them. They have no idea where they are."

That's a huge problem when every second counts and the clock is ticking on muscle fatigue from the cold water. And these cold water temperatures are here with us for almost all of the summer. All snow melt, all the time.

Back on the picnic blanket, the moms here at the state park didn't even bring life jackets for their little ones. They knew that river wading so early in the season is a bad idea. They say they can still have a good time staying safe.

"As long as you really be vigilant about it," says  Cannon. "You can’t not let the kids experience , but you have to be aware, all the time."

Search and Rescue crews say the best ways to stay safe along our area waterways is to know the hazards and knowing the river itself. Also knowing the limitations of your own skill sets as a swimmer. And alcohol and boating don’t mix, because you want to keep your wits as sharp as possible around the hazards in these waterways.