Official: River is not safe

By Uriah A. Kiser

Published: June 16, 2008

FALMOUTH — In the wake of the June 8 drowning death of a Maryland teenager, Stafford officials said the county staff members that were monitoring the beach at the time of the drowning were not trained to save the boy’s life.

Gilberto Lopez Cortez, 17, was on a church retreat at Falmouth Waterfront Park when he went missing in the water. Witnesses say the boy went under but never resurfaced. Fredericksburg fire and rescue officials recovered his body the next morning.

In a June 13 press conference held at the park, county officials said only one of its riverfront parks, Aquia Landing, has a lifeguard staff trained for water rescue.

The county said the beach is montiored by the sheriff’s department and park authority staff, but there are no plans to provide water rescue training to current staff at the Falmouth park. In event of an emergency the staff is to call 9-1-1, according to Cathy Riddle, Stafford County spokeswoman.

There have been more than 85 drowning deaths at the site since 1972.

“Our staff is here to monitor the beach and make sure there is no alcohol consumption…and encourage people to put on life jackets before they get into the water,” said Riddle.

Riddle also said the county includes the riverfront beach in its tourism efforts to attract visitors to the county.

Area residents said there is a visible staff presence at the park during peak swimming times, but also said they do not monitor the beach.

“I’ve been out here many times and see the staff with their backs turned toward the river,” said Mojo Gentry of Falmouth. “How can they be watching the river with their backs turned toward it?”

Gentry, who walks his dogs at the riverfront park, said he doesn’t swim there, and prefers to travel to nearby Colonial Beach to spend time with his family.

Stafford spends upwards of $9,000 per year on staffing the Aquia Landing Park with a three-person staff.  Two staff members are lifeguards during the summer months, and one manages the park’s operations, according to Christopher Hoppe, director of Stafford County Parks and Recreation.

Aquia Landing Park is located on the much wider Potomac River in Brooke. Despite the geological differences between the two parks, officials say the Rappahannock is no less dangerous.

“Currents are one of the several factors that make this river dangerous… You talk to any of the experts that are on this river all the time and they will tell you the currents and the strength of the current can change throughout the day,” said Mark Stone, Stafford Fire and Rescue spokesman.

Stone said the current, along with floating debris and holes on the river floor may have been factors in the 17-year-old’s death.

Stafford County Supervisor Harry Crisp, D-George Washington, said that he would be interested in working closely with the county parks service in determining the need for lifeguards at the Falmouth Waterfront Park.

The county took over operations at the park a nearly a year ago, after dissolving a partnership with the City of Fredericksburg. The city was unable to provide the level of funding needed to maintain the park, according to Crisp.

New signage unveiled at the Friday press conference will warn people of the river’s dangers with large pictures, instructing them not to bring alcohol to the beach and not to dive in to the water, among other safety rules.

“Instead of a language or two languages, it’s picture-grams showing all of the hazards and precautions that we want people to take,” said Stone.

Stone said the new signage would be posted clearly near the water’s edge so it is clearly visible to river-goers.

“When you look out there it looks like a beautiful, safe and very peaceful river, but it really isn’t safe once you get out there,” said Riddle.