FRESNO (KMJ) — Rivers all over the Central Valley are closed this Memorial Day weekend. High temperatures have brought about a melting snowpack, creating raging waterways and dangerous conditions.
Swimmers are being encouraged to stay out of the water as the low temperatures can be deadly.
“The water is cold, causes hypothermia when people are trying to swim in that water. Typically the water is around 55 degrees, maybe a little bit colder,” reveals CAL FIRE’s Jeremiah Wittwer. “Hypothermia can set in and it’s stiffens the body. The body will start to cramp up and they’re unable to swim to safety or get themselves out of the water.
“It may look calm on top of the water, but the water is moving extremely fast underneath…don’t underestimate the power of the water.”
If someone gets into difficulty while trying to swim, Wittwer suggests yelling for help immediately and calling 911.
“If there’s something that you can reach the person with, whether that’s some type of a pole or a hook or some type of flotation device to assist them – that will definitely help out.”
Using a life jacket is also recommended.
“We come across a lot of these incidents, where people feel that they’re comfortable swimmers so they don’t need them…a lot of people will assume that they’re in a kayak or a canoe they’re not getting in to swim.
“If something gets overturned and you’re not a good swimmer, that becomes an issue for us.”
The Central Valley’s closed rivers include the Kings River through Fresno, Kings, and Tulare Counties; the Tule River in Tulare County; and the Merced River in Yosemite National Park. All remain closed until further notice.
Hear the report from KMJ’s Dominic McAndrew as it aired:
