KING COUNTY, WA - A logjam on the Green River just west of Highway 18 near Auburn has created a significant drowning hazard for boaters and swimmers, warns Public Health - Seattle King County. Drownings occur every year on the Green River, and this logjam increases the risk substantially.

"Inexperienced rafters, canoers and kayakers who are unfamiliar with the river and not wearing lifejackets are always at risk on the Green River," says Tony Gomez, Injury Prevention Manager for Public Health - Seattle & King County and Chair of Seattle-King County Drowning Prevention Coalition. "Right now, it's a combination for disaster."

Logjams are naturally occurring, and create very hazardous situations for inexperienced or untrained river users. This particular logjam includes two canoes, a rubber raft and two inner tubes, indicating that boaters have already been caught in the area. The specific location of the jam is on the right bank, 0.7 miles downstream on of Hwy. 18 and the Soos Creek boat launch.

"The river has changed course over the last two flood seasons," said Andy Levesque, King County River Engineer. "Now the water flows right into the logjam. The river is fast, turbulent and dangerous for inexperienced boaters or people floating on inner tubes."

"I want to urge people to stay off this portion of the Green River due to the safety hazard," says King County Sheriff Dave Reichert. "We don't want anyone in a situation where an emergency rescue might be needed."

In 1998 and 1999 there were seven drowning deaths in King County area rivers according to the Public Health Medical Examiners Office. Five of these drownings were on the Green/Duwamish and White Rivers in the South King County area. There have been many other near-drownings on these same rivers, including the rescue last summer of a young boy clinging to a branch in the middle of the Green River.

Public Health recommends that inexperienced rafters, kayakers, and canoeists do not venture out with the current high water levels and dangers created by logjams. In fast-moving rivers such as the Green, even a lifejacket is not a guarantee of safety. Swimmers or rafters may become pinned against a boulder or log and be unable to free themselves due to the tremendous pressure created by the force of the water. Even experienced boaters with proper equipment have drowned in recent years.

Public Health encourages all residents to follow these boating safety guidelines:

• Scout the condition of the river before putting in and know the level of difficulty before launching your boat.
• Wear a properly fitted, US Coast Guard approved life jacket at all times. The State of Washington requires all children under 12 years of age and younger to wear a personal flotation device when boating.
• Be a competent swimmer with the ability to handle yourself underwater.
• Know how to handle your water craft with the proper use of paddles and oars.
• Never boat beyond your skill level.
• Always stay alert for unexpected hazards.
• Never use alcohol or drugs when boating or floating in a river. They dull important survival reflexes and impair decision-making skills.
• Children should never boat or float a river without the close supervision of an adult.
• Know and practice river rescue techniques. Be trained in rescue skills, CPR, and first aid with emphasis on recognizing and treating hypothermia.

A sign warning boaters of the logjam hazard is being posted on the Green River.