(LEX 18) — The discovery Friday morning of the body of a missing kayaker in the Big Sandy River has prompted authorities to ramp up warning about boating safety this Memorial Day weekend.
The Scott County Swift Water Rescue Team has been stepping up its training recently. They’re telling boaters to remember the essentials: wear your life jackets, avoid drinking alcohol while on the water, and if you’re in local creeks and waterways, watch out for low head dams.
Then there are the concerns beyond water, including debris.
“You don’t know what’s underneath those stranders, because you try to go underneath of them and there could be an entire fallen tree caught up in all the branches or it could be large amounts of debris that just collected in one spot,” said Tyler Sipes with the Georgetown Fire Department. “Those are also very dangerous and can get you in a bad situation.”
Crews with Pike County Emergency Management found the body of 47-year-old Paris “Andy” Smith two days after he went missing. The circumstances surrounding his death remain under investigation.
