PLACER COUNTY, Calif. — With Memorial Day weekend a few days away and hundreds of families expected to flock to the American River, first responders are demonstrating just how dangerous the water is.
So far this season, two men have been swept away by the water. One body has been recovered, but the other is still missing.
For first responders the message is clear: stay out of the river. To put things in perspective, in the area known as Painted Rock, people were able to walk across it last year. However, the water is so high and traveling so fast people currently can't even see the rocks.
In a matter of seconds, the swift and cold water in the American River can become deadly.
First responders from multiple agencies are being proactive ahead of the Memorial Day weekend. They're demonstrating the power of the river and the challenges involved in river rescues at the American River Confluence in Auburn.
"When we're late on that call, it's all the energy. I know the guys at the end of one of these calls are absolutely burnt and they're not allowed to be," said Sgt. Kevin Griffiths, with the Placer County Sheriff's Office. "They gonna get burnt. They get in their patrol cars and go to the next call for service. So it's a huge strain when that happens."
Officials are calling out men between 16 to 24 years old after noticing a trend recently -- challenges to jump into the river and to swim across the river, according to Mike Howard, sector superintendent for the Auburn State Recreation Area.
"These situations so often ends in tragedy. It's an unnecessary challenge," said Howard.
A 22-year-old man has already lost his life after being swept away in April, and a second man is still missing.
"A lot of things go through our minds, and it's really important when that call comes in gathering the facts and information," said Capt. Kyle Vandervort, with Cal Fire.
The Placer County Sheriff's Office said they have the people to go to the rescues, but it also means having to pull from staff.
"We have to pull from other places, which means other deputies are having to backfill those calls for service...," said Sgt. Griffith.
Between Cal Fire and the sheriff's office, first responders put in a couple hundred hours of training every year, and they said they're ready to respond this weekend if needed.
However, the priority is for no one to be swept away and end up in a bad situation.
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