WASHINGTON — With summer refusing to relent, King County Sheriff’s Marine Rescue Team is expecting a busy weekend on the water.
They’ll be out in full force in an effort to make sure people know what they need to stay safe.
Marine Rescue Sgt. Benjamin Callahan says it’s the time of year when more newcomers to paddleboards and kayaks make their first voyage on the water.
“It’s pretty natural after SeaFair, we see a lot of people who discover on-water recreation and then they come into it so it’s like doing beginning of summer education again, at the end of summer,” Callahan said.
KIRO7 rode along with Callahan’s water rescue team around Jaunita Beach on Friday.
Within minutes, deputies spotted a pair of paddleboarders without life jackets.
That’s typically a $99 fine, though Callahan focused on education today.
“People are out here to have fun, and if you come in here with a buzz kill, you’re going to shut them down real fast and I want them to retain it.” Callahan said.
Callahan has been on the marine rescue team for more than a decade. In that time, he’s seen more people on the water—both because of how the population has increased and how paddleboards, inflatable kayaks, and other vessels have made the water more accessible.
“If I see someone who knows better and should be doing better and they’re going to get paid attention to, I’m probably more likely to write that person a ticket and take enforcement action than someone whose brand new.”
Most areas around Lake Washington, people are required to just have a life jacket accessible, not necessarily on their person. The other requirements for watercraft are having a whistle and a light, especially when out at night or for sunset.
“If people get separated from their craft, the whistle is the thing that saves their life. We’ve had a bunch of those,” Callahan said.
In Callahan’s mind, everyone should take the free, eight-hour water safety course from Washington State Parks to stay safe and know how different vessels, from boats to paddleboards, should interact with each other. It can also help save lives.
The method Callahan tells people if they see someone struggling in the water and at risk of drowning, the “Reach, Throw, Go” method.
Reach is to try and get a paddle or something to help pull them from the water.
Throw is for throwing a life ring or something similar.
Go is to go for help. Callahan says only people experienced in water rescues or lifeguarding should try to jump in the water to save someone; otherwise, an untrained person could be at risk of drowning themselves.
“You feel like you’re in the middle of civilization, but when you’re out in the middle of the lake and something goes wrong, you might as well be in the middle of the woods by yourself because it’s wilderness,” Callahan said.
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