BOISE, Idaho — As the weather warms up, Idahoans are heading to bodies of water to cool off. However, officials are warning people to stay safe and take precautions to not get hurt this summer season.
The Boise River is still not safe enough to float, according to floattheboise.org. On Wednesday, Boise River is at 2,260 cubic feet per second. It needs to be between 500 to 1500 in order to be safe to float.
Casey Coles, an employee at Idaho River Sports, said people are still going to other bodies of water and need to be cautious when it is hot out, and they are jumping in the cold, and he said to always be sure to have a lifejacket.
“If all of a sudden your breath is taken away from that cold water, you know, you could drown, Coles said. "We want to make sure people are wearing that life jacket."
Coles said that sometimes people can become complacent and not wear a lifejacket, but it could be a life-saving measure in many circumstances.
“Watch out for your kids, keep an eye on your kids and put your kids in those life jackets,” Coles said. “It's so simple. Drownings are preventable.”
In addition to a lifejacket, Coles recommends carrying a whistle in case you need help while on the water.
“If you're in trouble out there, and you're paddling alone, you can blow that whistle, and that's really going to get people's attention,” Coles said.
The Red Cross recommends always swimming with a buddy and in supervised areas, and also not drinking alcohol or doing drugs before or while getting in the water.
For safe alternatives to floating the river, you can go to splash pads in Boise, Meridian and Eagle or visit ponds in the area to cool off.
Watch more Local News:
See the latest news from around the Treasure Valley and the Gem State in our YouTube playlist:
HERE ARE MORE WAYS TO GET NEWS FROM KTVB:
Download the KTVB News Mobile App
Apple iOS: Click here to download
Google Play: Click here to download
Watch news reports for FREE on YouTube: KTVB YouTube channel
Stream Live for FREE on ROKU: Add the channel from the ROKU store or by searching 'KTVB'.
Stream Live for FREE on FIRE TV: Search ‘KTVB’ and click ‘Get’ to download.