In the wake of a 15-year old boy going missing last week along the Fraser River, the local Red Cross reminds us of some river safety tips.
Manager of Northern and Aboriginal Engagement for BC and the Yukon, Becky Row says a few important steps need to be taken before jumping into the water.
“We want people to take swimming lessons and take some first aid classes in the event something does take place, of course wearing a life jacket, not drinking alcohol while boating and know the area where you are planning to swim.”
Row adds despite the temptation of swimming in the Nechako and Fraser River’s it is advised to swim along a lake front where a current is not present.
“The rivers around Prince George are enticing, they are cool, they’re refreshing but they are extremely dangerous, we really encourage people to move to a lake-front and to certainly not be decieved by how calm and cool the water looks.”
The Nechako River continues to run high at Isle Pierre where it is flowing at 760 cubic metres per second which is twice the flow rate as last year.
The Fraser is slightly lower at the South Fort George gauge this year and the current level is 6.7 metres.