ROCKINGHAM COUNTY, N.C. — The tubing incident on Dan River has raised questions about safety out on the water.
WFMY News 2 spoke with a Madison-Mayodan Recreation Director about tips to keep at the forefront when taking a trip to a local river.
Recreation Director Lee Mitchell said once you get on the river it all comes down to preparation and education. He said staff brief tube renters
on best practices before they get in the river to make sure everyone makes it out safely.
"You want to know the depth of the water. You want to know how fast it's moving. You wanna know what kind of obstacles you're going to face on the way whether it be low water rocks, rapids, dams, anything along those lines. you want to make sure you know what's going to be on your travel," said Mitchell.
Mitchell said the water around dams can be especially dangerous because of the strength of the currents in the area.
"Most of the time they're trying to generate power which is going to create a turbine system underwater. It's going to hold you under that water because it's made to generate energy and you just happen to be in an area you don't want to be in and shouldn't be in," he said.
He said even if you can swim, life jackets are important to at least have with you in case the unpredictable happens.
"You never know when a freak accident happens because it is a body of water, no different than a lake or an ocean. You hear about people that drown or are getting pulled in by riptides. Same thing with the river, it has its concerns too," he said.
If you and your family plan on going out on the river alone Mitchell suggests contacting the city or outfitter in the area for everything you need to know for safety.
Mitchell said they offer life jackets for free with the rentals they give out, but not everyone takes them.