Evan Stafford from American Whitewater discusses river safety for this summer.
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00:00Swimming in rivers and lakes comes with different risks, from strong currents to hidden obstacles.
00:05Knowing what to look for in natural water can actually help you stay safe.
00:08So American Whitewater's mission is to protect our rivers and enjoy them safely.
00:13Joining us is Evan Stafford, Communications Director at American Whitewater.
00:19And thank you so much for joining us today, Mr. Evan.
00:23What are the biggest mistakes people make when swimming in rivers or lakes?
00:30Well, they're a little different.
00:33But for rivers, it's usually getting into the river in too fast of currents and not knowing how strong the currents are.
00:42And also just not wearing a life jacket.
00:45For lakes, but also relevant for rivers, diving in head first is a big mistake into lakes.
00:54And also swimming in high winds actually creates currents on lakes, much like a river that can pull you out into the middle of the lake and be really dangerous.
01:06So what are the main hazards that people are watching out for when we do get out in the water?
01:11Well, it really is strong currents that cause the most incidents for swimmers and other recreational users in the water.
01:23In rivers especially, you really want to be careful of downed wood, otherwise known as strainers.
01:30And also low head dams should always be avoided.
01:33What basic gear or precautions should everyone take before getting into a river or lake?
01:42The biggest and most easiest thing you can do to help stay safe in the water is to wear a life jacket or sometimes called a personal flotation device.
01:54And that's really the most important piece of gear for recreating in the water.
01:57Yeah, I would imagine that's essential.
02:00Even some flotation of rafts can be at least helpful on top of that flotation device.
02:05How is American Whitewater working to improve public safety around a lot of our rivers?
02:10They're busy doing a lot of this.
02:13Well, American Whitewater works with the U.S. Coast Guard and also all different levels of river managers across the country
02:22to improve the safe access and also just the enjoyment of our rivers across the country.
02:29We have a lot of materials available.
02:32We have a newly updated and beautifully illustrated river safety code
02:37and a ton of other safety materials including videos
02:42and other important safety information.
02:47And it's all available at AmericanWhitewater.org slash safety.
02:52Evan Staffer, Communications Director at American Whitewater.
02:56Thanks for joining us and making sure everybody stays safe in the rivers and the lakes this summer.
03:02Thanks for having me on. Appreciate it.