As the weather gets warmer, more people have been seen crowding to the Truckee River downtown, but with fun also comes responsibility. Right now officials say the river water temperature is less than 50 degrees, which can be dangerous for anyone.
Scott Zettelmeyer, a Team Leader for the Washoe County Sheriff's Office HASTY Team says "The people that are kayaking, and rafting, and have the proper safety equipment on, and are experienced, and know what they're doing those aren't the people we get called to help."
Rather the people they often get distress calls from are the more inexperienced ones without the proper safety equipment, even if you have a raft or tube, you should also always have a life jacket.
Zettelmeyer mentions "A lot for people like to raft the river, and float the river, and it's a very popular thing to do in the summer time and it's great fun but just be smart about it."
He also says if you're going to be in or around the river you should be sober, "If you're drinking probably stay off the water."
He also mentions there are entrapment hazards in the river and it's difficult to help people when they're trapped with so much water rushing at one time. "People don't die because they get stuck in a bush or a rock, they die because they end up drowning, so if they keep their heads and faces above water so they can breathe that gives us a little bit of time to perform a rescue if we can."
