After an Athens man went missing in the Hocking River last week, local authorities are urging people to exercise caution in waterways.
Police began searching for Devin Gargia, 27, last Saturday, June 23, near White Mill, the same area where a kayaker died last year. The search has since been called off.
“The incident was in an extremely hazardous area that included a low head dam,” said Dave Ford, a local investigator for the Ohio Department of Natural Resources Division of Parks and Watercraft.
According to the ODNR, more than 33 people in Ohio have died in water and boating fatalities from 2016 to 2018.
Authorities are urging people to wear a life jacket, use adequate water shoes, avoid dams and not consume alcohol to stay safe in water.
“First and foremost, don’t consume alcohol and then go to a watersite because when your judgement is impaired, you tend not to make good decisions while under the influence,” Ford said.
Ford recommended going in a group and paying attention to the location of group members, as it increases reaction response time for an emergency.
Some places to avoid this summer include rising rivers and streams in flash flood conditions and dams.
“People underestimate the power of the water,” Ford said. “People think they are climbing into streams or rivers that are ankle or knee-deep, or think can use an inner tube in the water to stay safe, but in reality they’re much deeper.”
Dams pose a serious threat to swimmers, especially in high-level water. The current can easily take a person with them, Ford said. There is no way to retrieve someone once they have fallen into the whirlpool motion of the water, he said.
“Below the dam is a recirculating current that holds water similar to a washing machine,” he said. “Even a life jacket in this case will not help because once you’re caught in something like that, there’s no getting out.”
Some students are familiar with the hazards around water and understand the consequences that come being unprepared.
“Mother Nature is unpredictable and accidents do happen, no matter your skill level or confidence in the water,” said Kirby Simeon, a senior studying recreation management. “We should all have a healthy respect for the water and the serious accidents that can happen while enjoying it.”
