Bakersfield Fire Department (BFD) has conducted seventeen (17) swift and still water rescues in the last month, including multiple rescue boat and rescue swimmer deployments in the Kern River.
Please note the following message from BFD Fire Chief Douglas R. Greener:
“The Bakersfield Fire Department has responded numerous times to water-related rescues within the past four weeks, with the majority of those incidents involving the Kern River. In fact, this has been a record setting deployment and rescue year for the BFD Swift Water Rescue Team, and the season is just beginning, with our first sustained heat wave now in progress.
The Kern River is hazardous for those not properly trained in special water navigation techniques or not accompanied by trained river guides. The Kern River is currently flowing at over 5,000 cubic feet per second (CFS) which produces enough force to pin kayaks, inflatables, tubes, and swimmers under water indefinitely.
The sections of the Kern River flowing through metro Bakersfield may look calm and inviting, but the force is shockingly, unexpectedly powerful and can overcome the strongest swimmers. The death toll on the Kern River now stands at 280 since 1968, with at least six (6) new deaths this year.
The Fire Department is concerned for the safety of local residents, but also concerned for the safety of out-of-area visitors to the city that are unaware of the hazards associated with the Kern River.
"Although the BFD maintains the only Cal-OES certified Type 3 Swift Water Rescue Team in Kern County, we’re also concerned for the safety of our Firefighters and for the safety of other public safety agency and volunteer rescue unit members as well. Swift water rescues are very high-risk operations for everyone involved."
Over the course of the next few weeks, the BFD will be producing a Kern River Public Safety Announcement (PSA) and deploying Swift Water Rescue Patrols on targeted dates to assist with potentially higher activity around the river during the warmer weather periods. This will not make entering the river less dangerous and Fire Department presence should be construed as a clear and tacit warning to not enter the river.
On behalf of the Bakersfield Fire Department, I am issuing this precautionary alert both locally and to major metro news outlets to the north and south of Bakersfield in the hopes that the following information will be shared:
WARNING: DO NOT ENTER THE KERN RIVER!
? Do not enter the river unless with a trained river guide
? Do not enter the river without personal flotation device
? Do not enter the river under the influence of alcohol
? Do not enter the river under the influence of drugs
? Do not enter the river to attempt rescue – call 9-1-1
? Do not enter local canals or water conveyances
? Do not enter local lakes without designated swimming
? Do not swim in public areas without lifeguards
? Do not enter the Kern River!
STAY OUT, STAY ALIVE! STAY DRY, DON’T DIE!
