INDEX – The warning came too late for Michael Oakley and Chris Lund.
But neighbors near the waterfall where the two men died in separate accidents this summer hope a warning sign placed above the dangerous drop on Tuesday will keep others away.
The sign reads, “River closed to travel. Dangerous falls.”
“Maybe it will save someone’s life. Maybe I won’t have to hear deathly screams anymore,” said Tammy Baumgartner, who lives above Canyon Falls on the Skykomish River.
Oakley, 20, of Bothell drowned below the falls Sunday while attempting to rescue a friend, police said.
Lund, 18, of Woodinville was rafting with his brother on July 4 when he was swept over the falls.
Snohomish County printed the sign after Lund’s death and gave it to Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway to post on its railroad trestle above the falls, Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office spokeswoman Jan Jorgensen said.
Tuesday was the first chance crews had to put up the sign, said Gus Melonas, Burlington Northern spokesman.
“We run 24 trains daily on that line. Crews just can’t go out on the bridge, or else they would have,” he said. “It’s dangerous to put up that type of sign. It required planning.”
At least one sign along the road by the falls also warns of the danger, Jorgensen said.
“You can put the biggest sign there in the world and light it up 24 hours a day, and people are still going to go down that river,” Sheriff Rick Bart said. “They see the signs and just keep going.”
More signs should be placed farther up the river to keep others away, said Juli Lund, Chris Lund’s mother.
“By the time you get to the railroad trestle, it’s too late. You already know you’re in trouble,” she said. “The water is too fast. The signs need to be way before that.”
Roger Schmidt of Marysville plans to put up additional signs in the area this week.
His daughter Rhonda drowned in 1995 on a rafting trip down an Olympic Peninsula river. In her memory, he started Life Saving Signs, a nonprofit organization dedicated to water safety. He has placed more than 30 signs along Snohomish County rivers, including some near Index.
“So many people get into rivers without knowing what’s around the next bend. They think it’s a hot day and it looks like fun,” he said. “You can’t stop people, but you can warn them.”
Oakley and three friends were floating down the river on inner tubes Sunday afternoon when someone shouted a warning to them as they approached Canyon Falls.
He and two other men made it out of the current, but a woman didn’t. She was clinging to a rock when Oakley apparently tried to rescue her. Both went over the series of falls.
She survived and is recovering at Harborview Medical Center in Seattle. Sheriff’s divers found Oakley’s body on Monday.
River safety tips
* Know the river before attempting to drift down, and be aware of the dangers involved. There are many potentially hazardous obstructions such as logjams, gravel bars and waterfalls.
* Always let someone know where you will get into the river and where you plan to get out.
* Wear a life jacket .
* Take other necessary gear, such as a raft capable of withstanding white-water travel, helmets and wetsuits.
* Be prepared for cold water. The potential to develop hypothermia exists even in the summer, as the water temperature is approximately 45-50 degrees in Snohomish County rivers.
* Adults who can’t swim and children shouldn’t go in water deeper than their waists.
* Never drink while river rafting.
Source: Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office
River safety tips
* Know the river before attempting to drift down, and be aware of the dangers involved. There are many potentially hazardous obstructions such as logjams, gravel bars and waterfalls.
* Always let someone know where you will get into the river and where you plan to get out.
* Wear a life jacket.
* Take other necessary gear, such as a raft capable of withstanding white-water travel, helmets and wetsuits.
* Be prepared for cold water. The potential to develop hypothermia exists even in the summer, as the water temperature is approximately 45-50 degrees in Snohomish County rivers.
* Childern and adults who can’t swim shouldn’t go in water deeper than their waists.
* Never drink alcoholic beverages while river rafting.
Source: Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office
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