I think I would be afraid that the life vests would inspire complacency and give parents a false sense of security. There's no substitute for parental supervision and strong swimming skills.  My other fear is that this legislation would push people who don't want to buy, or use, lifejackets farther into the less public, more dangerous swimming holes.  

I understand wanting to protect children, but children aren't the problem.  The data suggests that the biggest demo of people who drown are males, between 18-25 years of age.  And, in a good percentage of cases, they were intoxicated.  Unless you ban drinking on the river and non-locals...I'm afraid this is putting a bandaid on the wrong wound.  The appearance of safety is not safety.

Life vests?  The suggestion that children through age 13 wear life vests when in or near public waters is not realistic.  At thirteen, I was an advanced swimmer, knew water safety rules, and had my junior life saving certificate.  Kids on swim teams and other children who have parents who teach and supervise their children to be water safe would also be inconvenienced by this law.  Strong river currents have been know to suck children down, life vest and all.  Parents who allow their children in water under unsafe conditions are negligent and should be treated as so.  Most of those who drown in the Kern River are adults and usually drinking is involved.  I wouldn't take my children swimming in the Kern River because it's dirty.

Life vests for children?  Maybe.  For their idiot parents?  Absolutely not!  Why can't we just let nature take its course and thin the herd?

If a parent lets their child swim in Killer Kern, maybe charges of child neglect and child endangerment should be brought up against the parents. Let me just throw this out there while I'm at it:  Attempted Murder!!! STAY OUT STAY ALIVE!!  Due to the recent drownings which none have been children, what about the adult idiots who go in???  If they make it out alive they should have to pay for the time and effort of the search and resue crews!!

I have been fortunate to have been given the opportunity to enjoy the Kern River.  Whenever my father would round uphis family of six sons and two daughters to take them fishing to the river (every weekend) he would always emphasize the warning at the entrance of the canyon.  He would pull over, we would all get out, and in unison make us repeat what was on the sign in English; and when they came up, in Spanish.  His children respected the river and its unforseen deadly currents.  He did his job as a parent, teaching his children to have respect and being responsible.  Today, I do the same with my son and any out of town friend I take into the canyon.  They read the warning sign and I make sure they understand the river is to be respected.  I have had close friends lose their lives to river and it has not been pretty the stress they have left their families to suffer.  I agree wearing life vests when children enter the river is a good idea, but, I feel being responsible is a better idea.  Those who enter the river to cool off have no consideration for others, so if it is "thinning the herd" then so be it.  These people will do what they please with or without warnings or laws.  Just their families should be charged for the damage their rescue or recovery effort has caused. 

RIGHT ON..we need to ban everything Im talkin fireworks animals christianity ..suck it up  Btown LETS DO IT!!!!!! lets show the world what a great bunch of model citizens we have livin here..and just think how our lives will be so much more enriched for doing so..

BAN BAN BAN BAN BAN BAN BAN BAN BAN BAN BAN BAN BAN BAN BAN BAN BAN BAN BAN BAN BAN BAN BAN BAN BAN BAN BAN BAN BAN BAN BAN BAN BAN BAN BAN BAN BAN BAN BAN BAN BAN BAN BAN BAN BAN BAN BAN BAN BAN BAN BAN BAN BAN BAN BAN BAN BAN BAN BAN BAN BAN BAN BAN BAN BAN BAN BAN BAN BAN BAN BAN BAN BAN BAN BAN BAN BAN BAN BAN BAN BAN BAN BAN BAN BAN BAN BAN BAN BAN BAN BAN BAN BAN BAN BAN BAN and BAN

Engineer or designate a safe swim area and make the rest of the Killer Kern off limits, enforced with a stiff fine. Idiots who drown in the river or let their kids drown are getting to be an expense our budget can't afford.

If they are so dumb to get into the killer Kern then everyone should wear a life vest. I recall the last three people who drowned were adults. No children should be allowed in the river, thats child neglect!!!!  You don't  see search and rescue in the river with out  wearing a life vest. If they disobey the keep out of the river signs then they should pay for search and rescue services.

If someone stumbles upon a river that posts a sign that reads, "250 lives lost since 1968..Stay Out, Stay Alive" and then they decide to take a swim....Well, then I say they deserve what they get! Putting life vests on the juveniles, isn't going to help the drunk, moron adults who are the ones disappearing in the river. What really baffles me is the sickos who dare to swim in the boat lake at Hart Park. Have you seen what lurks at the bottom of that disease ridden lake?

I'm not sure I agree with Catpaw.  The Kern River is dangerous.  No doubt.  But, closing parts of the river penalizes everyone who has followed the warnings and respects the river.  When I was well, we used to love taking the kids hiking in the canyon.  We'd find really, really small streams (maybe six inches deep) that formed when the main body of water went one way and a small creek-like amount was routed around a large bolder leaving a shallow place with no danger (unless the dam broke).  These were peaceful little places where we could cool our feet and talk to the kids.  Not to mention the dangers that come with making one area the only place to get it.  We absolutely won't go to any of the beaches in town because there are too many people who throw glass in the sand and beer/soda tabs and dirty diapers.  No thanks.  Plus, life vests will never diminish the need for supervision.  Neither will a protected area...you can't control what drifts downstream and plants itself in the swimming hole.  And, the more kids you have in one area, the easier it is to miss one when you're doing your head count. 

I've been swimming in various parts of the river and creeks above Isabella and Johnsondale (one is called "Brush Creek", the other is Peppermint Creek).  I'm alive because my parents were eagle eyed and very picky about where we could get in the water.  It's only deadly if you don't respect it and use a heightened awareness of trhe danger to make safe choices.

It is called the "Killer Kern" for a reason. The term Stay Out, Stay Alive is not just a mild suggestion.

here we go again .....I AM FROM THE GOVERNMENT....I AM HERE TO HELP (AND LINE MY OWN POCKETS TOO)..

lets look at past ATTEMPTS by our so-called leaders to improve the safety of the public (i like to call it taking the place of a mom and dad with common sense and decent morals)

1.  bike helmet laws....introduced back in the 1990's???  i witness numerous youngsters riding without a helmet....does anyone know if a ticket for a youth not wearing a bicycle helmet has ever been given???..Yet millions of taxpayer dollars has been pumped into this abyss (free helmets for the "under privilidged" , commerical exposure, advertisments....yada yada yada...

2.  Warning signs for swimming in the kern river....this has been going on for 40 years now (since 1968)...yet it seems people, mostly hispanics too (the reason why we have freekin PELIGRO signs @ the mouth of the canyon too) use the river as a souce of entertainment.  I wonder how much money the search and rescue team has cost the tax payers in the last 40 yrs

3.  gun laws......hmmmmm  this one really pisses me off.....lets see...some cracked out gangster uses an assault weapon in a crime, so our gubment thinks it beneficial to take these weapons out of the hands of the common people???  could they put us at a bigger disadvantage versus the criminals???  just look at san fran freeko during their gun ban....crime skyrocketed, and the common folk had to depend on an already strained SFPD???  no thanks...gimme my guns and i will take care of my self..thanks

those are just 3 right off the top of my head, but im sure, that if i had enough time to sit around and daydream up some stupid crap that doesnt make sense, like our lawmakers, i could list many more..

hey catpaw.....hart park used to house a great swimming/water park attraction in the late 70's early 80's...but the environmentalists played a big part in closing that part down......

LANDGRABBERS

Duh!

Of course children playing around the perilous Kern River or any other body of water in which they might drown should be properly protected with a proper flotation vest.

There are already boating laws mandating the use of life vests. It's a logical extension to expand such laws to protect children off the boat while wading, swimming, etc.

Considering the number of dumb adults who perish annually in the Kern River, perhaps it makes sense to also require flotation vests be worn by adults also playing in the river.

Actually as a frequent visitor with my son and his cousins to Hart Park water world back then... I remember it closed due to lack of customers near the end..when it opened it was a hot attraction..then it slowly just petered out..so the closure was an 'easy do' for whoever contributed to the final descion..

As far as water vests..no problemo..banning people from the river??..how  you spell HELL NO..access has already been cut way back from what it was when I was a kid..we had some great summer days and nights fishing and swimming in the canyon and floating from Ming to hart park and beyond..

If your an idiot I mean real idiot you CAN get into trouble..smaller children don't belong there ..never have and never will..not when mommy and daddy are more interested in how many cervasa's they can consume than how far down stream little Johnnie is..

But a slow refreshing cruise on an inner tube in mostly chest high water with an ice chest of food and drinks is a great way to spend the hot days of summer..

Some lack these important two words: COMMON SENSE! Another law will not help!! 

This is just another example of someone controlling our lives because we are incable of this very simple task.  Although most of us have enough common sense, the few idiots living among us continue to do something dumb.  And, therefore, all of us have to be regulated.  This is helmet, smoking, cell phones, gun, the list is endless and continues to grow.  For example, I still laugh when I see a coffee cup with a warning saying the coffee is hot.  Just how stupid are we?  And, how stupid are we to not take some responsibilitiy, but always point to others?  Therefore, yeah, we have to be regulated again.  Most of us see the sign and think better than to go in the water.  But, the idiots living among us think they are the exception.  In fact, they are so super, they even try to tame their super power with soe alcohol and what ever else they take.  I like the one of the earlier advice - let the nature take it's course - we'll become better through elimination of the weak. 

I hated saying that.

The safety of a child at the rivers and lakes of Kern County is not the responsiblitiy of the county government but instead lays in the lap of the parents of the children.  When a parent takes their children to these areas they should know what the risk are and take the necessary precautions to keep their children safe.   Our county is not in a financial position to spend valuable dollars in discussing, writing the law and then paying the personnel to enforce the law.  Why not use these funds to support our children in more valuable ways like in the schools and other programs designed for them and make the parents responsible for their actions or inactions if their child is hurt due to non-supervision.  Also as pointed out by the article only one child was killed on the river in how many years?  Evidently parents are doing what needs to be done to keep their children safe after all.

Anyone who is dumb enough to get in the Kern River should wear a life vest regardless of whether it is the law or not.  I think a law requiring life vest should be enacted but, I don't think it is the law abiding citizens that are drowning in the River. 

Yes, i think having children wearing life vests is a good idea, BUT look who has been drowning lately.  It is the adults who also need to be required to wear life vests with a heavy fine for those who do not.  We need to stop being nice and accommodating on this issue.  If you want to be in the Kern River than everyone has to wear a life vest or pay dearly with money instead of your life.

Laura

AS LONG AS THE WARNINGS STATE SWIM AT YOUR OWN RISK IT RELINQUISHES THOSE IN CHARGE FROM ANY LIABILITY. iF THEY START REGULATING THINGS IT WILL OPEN UP A WHOLE NEW CAN OF WORMS.

ISN'T THAT HOW THEY WERE PROTECTED AND ARGUED THEIR POINT ON THE RIVER LAKES PARK ACCIDENT WHEN THE MIDDLE EAST GIRL DROWNED? AS LONG AS IT WAS BEING FED BY THE KERN THEY WEREN'T RESPONSIBLE FOR PEOPLE USING BAD JUDGMENT.

We go gold prospecting near Hart Park on the other side of the river, most of the kids we see out there in the river are being "watched" by adults, usually with beer in hand. I've spent time dredging a sandbar on the edge of the river into a pool with about 4 inches of water flowing into it & big enough for the kids to play in cause their parents insist on letting them wade out into the river. At least with the pools we create the kids can get in the water without the current. As far as making it madatory to wear a vest, when we dredge a vest would keep us from doing it due to the fact we are in the water up to our necks "long arming it". My kids like to prospect but only use a pan or a sluicebox in about 4 inches of water, a PFD would also hinder them due to the fact you can't bend over wearing one without the vest going up over your chin. The kids don't go in a further than the 4 to 6 inch depth due to the fact they have seen Search & Rescue at work with LA people tubing & have a great respect for the river, I don't get in more than about a foot of water to start & dredge down from there. Putting more laws into the mix just gives the Sheriff more to deal with, let the ignorant ones drown & chum the water for the fish, next thing you know the gobermint will want to make it madatory to wear a PFD when you drive next to or across the river.

Just an FYI, Search and Rescue is  all VOLUNTEER.  They raise the  money and pay for all their own equipment and donate all their own time.  My husband has been a member for several years, he donates hundreds of hours a year, often leaving his day job early or getting called out on holidays or as in the case last Saturday, he had just gotten home after spending all day for 3 days along the river - just finishing up dinner at Don Perico's and the pager goes off, AGAIN.  In the last week, he has spent 72 hours of his own time, not the county's time, trying to keep people safe and look for lost loved ones AND then worked his day job.  The volunteers on the Sheriff's Search and Rescue team save the county a TON of money.  Can you imagine the costs involved if they were all PAID?  200 Search and Rescue members, all volunteer, free equipment donated by the members and one paid Sheriff's Dept Coordinator, countywide.  Just so no one thinks they are weekend warriors, they take their jobs very seriously, training hundreds of hours per year, each team specializing in specific areas, are very well-respected nationwide and are often requested by other counties and government agencies  as  mutual aid, again on their own time.

Also, several previous posters are right - look at the demographics of who drowns, rarely is it a child although there are often close calls - usually do to lack of supervision on the part of the parent.   Usually, it is young men, with a sense of immortality and alcohol, add an inflatable pool toy, an inability to swim and some stupidity and mix well.   A law won't make parents put life jackets on their kids,  the smart ones already do and how can you possibly enforce it?  The helmet law is not followed or enforced either.  Laws don't fix stupidity or lack of common sense and they never will.

a few years back me and some friends were swimming around Hart Park..we walked upstream cove in and floated down to a get out spot..during about 30 minutes or ore we noticed this guy coming down the river alone..he reached out and grabbed some tree roots and just hung on..he never yelled for help or anything..the longer he stayed there the more concerned we got that something wasn't right..eapecially since we could see he had a button up shirt on

finally me and a buddy went further up stream and swam over to the guy and yanked him off the tree..he didn't want to let go so it was a struggle..when we got him to the other side safe,,he was fully clothed Hispanic male about 30 years old..he even had his cowboy boots on..we could smell liquor on him but back then we couldn't speak his language..he sat down and rested then we took him up to the road and pointed him back into the park so he could find his family..

has we not been there this guy would have been another stat for the ol Kern..Being smashed and not respecting the power of the water can get you killed ..People need to watch each other when they are swimming no matter where they are at..my wife's father drowned deep sea diving when she was 2 because the hands on the boat were drinking and not watching his airlines..People need to save the beers for when your done swimming and increase your chances of survival..