x
Breaking News
More () »

Park rangers stress safety and dangers of Delaware River

Three people drowned in the last month in the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area.

MONROE COUNTY, Pa. — The Delaware River in the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area is a popular spot all year round.

This is true especially during the summer months, where people from all over come to kayak and swim.

"Oh, we are just out here to enjoy a beautiful sunny day out on the Delaware River," said Ray Post, Langhorne.

Kathleen Sandt is the Public Affairs Specialist for the National Park Service.

She's stressing the importance of practicing safety while in the park after three people died from drowning in the last month.  

Two of those incidents happened in the last week; the victims were not wearing life jackets.

"Make sure that you're always wearing a U.S. Coast Guard-approved, properly fitted life jacket," Sandt said. "It does sound counterintuitive to put a life jacket on when you are going to go swimming and when you're in a pool, you don't really have to do that but when you're in the river it's a little bit different."

"The current is constantly moving. Even though it looks like it's calm and serene on the top and sometimes even looks like a lake, below the surface is a really strong and swift current which can easily catch you up so that life jacket is important," Sandt added.

The amount of people visiting the recreation area is at an all-time high. 

That's why park rangers said it's very important for people to understand the rules, especially where they can and can't swim.

"We have three beach areas in the park, those are the best places to swim. We have the most staff in those places. Unfortunately, this year we do not have lifeguards on duty so again it's that much more important that people are wearing their life jackets even when they are recreating at the beaches. Swimming is not permitted at Kittatinny Point and it's not permitted off of or near any of our boat launches because of safety issues," explained Sandt.

RELATED: Man drowns in the Delaware River

RELATED: New York City man drowns in Delaware River

Before You Leave, Check This Out