Sacramento water rescue crews train while downpours continue

By Maricela De La Cruz

Click here for updates on this story

    SACRAMENTO, California (KCRA) — With more wet weather on the way, Sacramento County said it is trying to keep unhoused individuals out of the rain.

The county activated its Weather Respite Program on Feb. 21, sheltering more than 400 people via a motel voucher program.

“Sending navigators and outreach coordinators to at least warn people of the dangers — not only of the rising water levels if people are right along the bank, but of the danger of fallen trees,” said Janna Haynes, a public information officer with Sacramento County.

The county has also closed several sections of the American River Parkway, along with several regional parks to ensure that people are not too close to the river. But for those who choose to remain near the water, near the risk of flooding, the county’s Swift Water Rescue Team is back in full force. Last January, the team performed 170 rescues.

Cpt. Justin Sylvia with the Sacramento Fire Department said the team is using Ipads to track routes crews go through.

As more water is expected, the team took Monday as an additional day of training to get familiar with the waterways in Sacramento County, the equipment used and victim rescues.

But preparations are not without challenges for the team.

“We’re seeing a lot of debris in the waterways right now and they are flowing, so it’s just creating additional hazards for our boats when they go out and rescue someone. The props can get caught up on that debris and we could potentially get stranded and need another boat to come out and assist,” added Cpt. Sylvia.

A lot of the debris they’re seeing is a combination of branches and belongings left behind in nearby encampments, some of which are still occupied.

Please note: This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.