First responders patrol Kings River during busy Father's Day weekend

FRESNO COUNTY, Calif. (KFSN) -- First responders are keeping a close eye on our local waterways, especially with all the recent drownings that we've seen.

Families had their tents and picnic set up on Reedley Beach on Saturday afternoon. While people were cooling off by the water, it was also a time for families to reconnect.

"We're walking down my mom's memory lane," said Hugo Ayala who came all the way from Seattle. "This is where she grew up. She raised a big family. We got a lot of great memories here."

Just up the Kings River, people were getting into their tubes, ready to make their way down. Irving Vazquez with Goodfellow Floats says they've been putting on this event for the last several years.

But their biggest priority is making sure that people are safe.

"What we advise floaters is to be aware of their surroundings and mainly stay in the middle of the river," said Irving Vazquez with Goodefellow Floats. "If you veer off to the left or the right you will run into branches

Sean Albercht is a regular with Goodfellow Floats, goes down the Kings River often.

He also helps first-time floaters navigate the waterway.

"Go with someone who's done it before or have one of us go down with you," said Albercht.

"The main thing is having a good float and something to hang on to. It should be for the river and not for the pool."

With the Kings River flowing at high levels, it can take people several hours to get back to shore after floating down it. First responders are stationed close by to help respond to any water rescue calls.

"Our first plan of action is to get a representative on scene, assess, and start getting descriptions and locations," said Battalion Chief Justin Watson with the Reedley Fire Department. "Pretty much find out what we have and what we need."

The Reedley Fire Department has already seen several water rescue calls. One within the city and three in the county.

"This is actually an increase compared to last season," said Watson. "Last season with the river closed our requests were down significantly due to the time period that river was open. It varies year to year. "

The Fire Department said what they've seen on their calls is that people aren't using the right river raft. Those rafts are popping when they get caught in a tree or branch.

But Goodfellow Float Organizers and the Reedley Fire Department remind people to always wear a life jacket and make sure that it's properly fastened.

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