Alabama Marine Police Troopers Kasey Pruitt, Kyle Stephenson and John Mahler urge everyone to use common sense and caution on the waterways this summer.
SMITH LAKE - Memorial Day kicked off the summer season in a big way, but under entirely new circumstances, as the public flocked to beaches and waterways often not following warnings related to social distancing and other measures being urged to follow due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Arley Fire Department Chief James Rickett has seen up close and personal the effects of waterway accidents on Smith Lake, including those involving fatalities can have on families. While, thankfully, no waterway fatalities were reported this past Memorial Day in Winston County , firefighters were called to assist on the scene of a wave board accident, where a juvenile suffered a head injury during a fall, Rickett noted.
Rickett gave a message of caution to those who will be using the waterways throughout the summer months.
“Be careful and think about what you are doing,” Rickett said. “Think about the consequences before you do it.”
Last year, Arley FD was among the first responders busy responding to several accidents on Winston’s waterways, including those involving serious injuries. In one incident, a young boy jumped off a bluff, planning to hit land in the lake, but landed on a rocky ledge instead, Rickett recalled.
“He still has a lot of health problems, but he made it,” Rickett pointed out. “When he jumped, he changed his mind. It was too late, and he hit the bluff at the bottom.”
The fire department was also busy last year on scenes of water skiing accidents, which caused head injuries, Rickett said.
“Probably the biggest thing from skiing is head injuries,” he said, “getting too close to the bank. Slow down. A lot of them just go way too fast.”
The worst incident on Smith Lake in 2019 was the Independence Day boating collision that resulted in a death and multiple persons injured, according to Rickett.
In 2020, the recreational season is unlike any before, thanks to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
Officials are confirming that people who flocked to the state’s waterways Memorial Day weekend did not observe six-foot social distancing guidelines from state officials.
“They are doing what they want to do and are not thinking about the consequences,” said Rickett. “It’s going to turn around and bite them.
“If it can happen somewhere else, it can happen here,” he pointed out.
See complete story in the Northwest Alabamian.
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