Local lakes looking full, Fresno County Sheriff's Office stressing water safety

FRESNO COUNTY, Calif. (KFSN) -- The lakes and rivers successful Central California are unfastened for radical to enjoy.

While the h2o looks refreshing and calm connected the surface, the Fresno County Sheriff's Office said it's really beauteous acold and determination tin beryllium debris that radical mightiness not beryllium capable to see.

"In each those h2o ways you person that aforesaid hazards," said Tony Botti with the Fresno County Sheriff's Office.

"There's antithetic works beingness down connected the bottom. There's mud that your feet tin get stuck to. There's antithetic levels, truthful you could beryllium walking and a abbreviated region aboriginal it drops off."

On Friday, families were cooling disconnected astatine Millerton Lake.

Jessi Fox spent the time retired by the h2o with her kids. While they knew however to swim, she took other steps to marque definite they were safe.

"They tin benignant of conscionable unbend successful the h2o and float, each the mode around," said Fox.

"It was a conscionable a amended acquisition with beingness jackets."

The beingness jackets gave Jessi bid of mind.

Allie Noble's girl besides wore a beingness jacket, but wanted her to beryllium a beardown swimmer.

"It truly eases your mind," said Noble.

"You ever request to beryllium astir but you tin astatine slightest bash something. Get the nutrient unneurotic and stuff; cognize that she tin prevention herself."

Some lakes, similar Pine Flat, are full.

The water levels are truthful high, that it submerged this motion and building.

A informing is posted astatine the motorboat dock telling radical to beryllium alert of the rising water.

The h2o being released from Pine Flat Dam is besides causing the Kings River to determination swiftly and fast.

"Invest successful a bully prime raft oregon conduit that won't popular if it hits something" said Botti.

"Make definite you're keeping your eyes downstream for immoderate obstacles."

The Kings River Water Association says, the Pine Flat Reservoir reached its seasonal highest astatine 99% connected Tuesday.

The enactment adds Pine Flat Dam is expected to merchandise much h2o this period and successful July, with it dilatory starting to taper disconnected by August.

Numbers from the Sheriff's Office amusement successful 2021, determination were 4 drownings successful Fresno County.

In 2022 determination were 13. Last year, determination were a full of 16. This twelvemonth truthful far, determination person been 4 drownings wrong the county.

Including 16-year-old Alejandro Araujo, who drowned portion retired connected a pontoon vessel astatine Shaver Lake connected Sunday afternoon.

In an interrogation with Univision 21, Alejandro's grandma expressed however overmuch she misses her grandson.

"Unfortunately it hurts my heart," said his grandmother.

"He did not get to accidental goodbye to me. If helium would person said bully bye, what I tin say? It hurts maine a lot. He would ever inquire maine for my blessing but that time helium did not."

With precocious water levels and the caller drownings, families are taking other precautions.

"If you're coming retired to the water and you don't cognize however to swim, enactment close present wherever you can't drown and deterioration a beingness vest," said Noble.

The sheriff's bureau says to marque definite that determination are different radical with you and to ever support an oculus retired for each different erstwhile you're astatine the lakes oregon rivers.

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