The confluence of the Sacramento and American Rivers
If the triple-digit heat makes you want to jump in the river to cool off, the Sacramento Fire Department says … don’t. And they’re pointing to an 18-year-old Elk Grove boy who drowned over the weekend as the reason why.
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Fire Captain Jim Doucette says the Sacramento and American Rivers simply aren’t safe to swim in.
Doucette: “This young man was a swimmer. Friends said he knew how to swim. But the big thing here is that river is dangerous – it doesn’t matter who you are, what kind of swimmer you are. You can’t think that you’re above getting killed here in this river, cause you’re not.”
The drowning occurred Sunday afternoon near Discovery Park just northwest of Downtown Sacramento, where the two rivers meet. The fire department says 11 people died in Sacramento County rivers last year – up from an average of six over the last several decades.
If you’re going to swim anyway, Doucette says, wear a life jacket, no matter what your age – and stay sober. But he recommends jumping into a swimming pool instead.