Tuesday afternoon, our team responded to a call regarding nine tubers who became entangled on a large strainer in the Sacramento River, just below the Gianella Bridge. We quickly mobilized our rescue boat with three volunteer swift water rescue technicians. All individuals were safely recovered, though understandably shaken from the experience. We also managed to remove as many tubes as possible. We take pride in serving our community as an all-volunteer 501(c)(3) nonprofit auxiliary of the Butte County Sheriff, operating solely on donations without any compensation for our services. For more information on how to support our team, please visit buttesar.org.
The strainer, an underwater object that allows water to pass through but poses a danger to humans, is located just south of the Irvine Finch Boat Launch in an area marked “Large Strainer Field” on the attached map. Historically, this location has contained several strainers, rock sieves, and riprap from previous dumping, but there has typically been a safe area on the river’s right side for navigating tubes, kayaks, or other watercraft.
This year, however, the situation has changed. The area now features numerous new strainers that can pose serious risks to tubers and novice kayakers. We urge everyone to exercise extreme caution in this area, maintain control of your direction, and always wear a personal flotation device (PFD). Nearly all drowning victims we have recovered since 1961 were not wearing a PFD at the time of their incident. A PFD is the most critical safety measure you can take in the water.
Enjoy the river safely! While we hope you never need our assistance, rest assured that we are always ready to help at no cost to you.
