High water creates high risk

With rivers raging faster than they have in years, fatalities and rescues have jumped dramatically at Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks this year.

Only one person had died by this time in 2004, but so far this year eight people have been killed. Four drowned, two were struck by lightning and two climbers were killed on icy rock on Mt. Whitney.

In the most recent fatalities, a Boy Scout and a Scout leader were killed by lightning last week.

Two other young men drowned in separate incidents while swimming in the middle fork of the Kaweah River. In another incident, a father was rescued by helicopter after being pinned underwater when he jumped into a river to save his son.

Higher water has submerged many of the usual rock-hopping routes across streams and rivers.

“These people have fallen victim to a combination of taking risks, bad luck and last winter,” says Bill Tweed, chief naturalist for the National Park Service. “This is last winter still taking its final toll.”

To avoid injury or death, he advises checking current conditions with rangers, reading signs and being cautious around water.

Joe Robinson