SPOKANE, Wash. – Many people are expected to be enjoying recreational activities on natural waterways Memorial Day weekend.
The Spokane Fire Department (SFD) wants people to enjoy themselves, but wants to stress the importance of being safe.
“We are really lucky in Spokane that we have a river that runs through the center of where we all live… There’s a lot of fun times that can be had on the River. But it’s also important for us to be aware of some of the innate dangers that can be a part of the [Spokane] River,” Jamie McIntyre, the Community Risk Reduction Manager for SFD, said.
It’s important to be aware of some of the dangers, such as knowing how fast the current of waterways like the Spokane River moves, looking out for hidden obstacles like debris and also, heading into this weekend in particular, it is important to know that spending a lot of time in cold water can cause hypothermia.
“The water’s a lot colder than you think it would be. Even if the weather is warm outside, you’ve got hypothermic temperatures in the water,” SFD firefighter, Konnor Forshag, said.
SFD is in full service 24/7, and this weekend will be no different. SFD’s Water Rescue Team will be out in full force.
“Our Water Rescue Team, both Station 2 and Station 3, with the jetboats and kayaks [will be] ready to go…Generally a typical response would include ten water rescue personnel from two different stations just trying to mitigate any hazards or situations we come upon with people in overturned boats or stuck on rocks.”
According to SFD data, in more than 80% of boating fatalities, the person killed was not wearing a flotation device.
“What you want is something that is fitted to your body, have something that’s coast guard approved. And when you put it on, you want to make sure it’s fitting snuggly so it’s not coming up on your chin or going to push up off of you if you’re in the water, [and] if you need to use that flotation device,” McIntyre said.
