Thread: City Council under pressure following second drowning

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City Council under pressure following second drowning


Posted 9/05/06
BAKERSFIELD - Since its opening this summer, two people have drowned at the Park at River Walk in Southwest Bakersfield.
31-year-old Juan Calderon of Bakersfield was the latest drowning that occurred in six feet of water Monday night, leaving the City of Bakersfield at a loss as to how to communicate with the people to be careful.

Since the death of Jasmine Korin this Fourth of July, several warning signs were posted across the man-made lake.

“I saw his head out, putting his hand up and screaming help me!'” Cindy Abarca said. “That's all I saw, and going out I saw a little of his face.”

Due to the soft, sandy lake bottom, rescuers took more than half an hour to find Calderon. When he was pulled out of water, authorities said he was “pulseless” and not breathing. Although there are signs around the lake, witnesses said the family of the victim only spoke Spanish.

Bakersfield City Councilman David Couch said he rushed to the park when he learned there was an emergency.

“We want people to enjoy the lakes,” Couch said. “We want people to spend time at the park. We put up signs that say no lifeguard on duty, watch your kids...short of filling the lakes and not having any water out here, I really don't what else we can do.”

City attorney Ginny Gennaro said that is not a viable option because the lakes legally serve a purpose.

“It recharges the water into our aquifer and that water is for our citizens to drink,” Gennaro said. “We will not be posting signs that are in additional languages because of course English is the official language. And I think most people would understand once you start posting signs in Spanish, where do you stop? I mean that really becomes a real slippery slope.”

Additionally, police arrested a 45-year-old woman and her 15-year-old son for interfering in the rescue.

The family of Calderon have hired an attorney, but no claim has been filed against the city.

"The family of Calderon have hired an attorney" sure get ready to go after the local taxpayers because the signs are not in spanish.

Never seen a lifeguard or even a warning sign in english when in Mexico.

What! We need signs so people will know that you can drown in water? They don't have lakes in Mexico? I'm tired of all this BS!

Anyone with any common sense knows that a child or a nonswimmer can drown in water. That's especially true for a child that's not being watched closely.