INDIANAPOLIS – Over the past month, nearly two dozen people have been rescued from central Indiana’s waterways and safety officials continue to warn the public about the dangers of high water and low-head dams.
One of the tips the Indiana Department of Natural Resources recommends is becoming familiar with kayaking routes before going out into the water, so you can avoid low-head dams. The DNR says low-head dams are to blame for the deaths of four people this year.
"Paddling in the water isn't any different than taking a long-distance drive,” said Ron Lewis of Rusted Moon Outfitters. “You look at the map and you know what's around. No dam is a problem when you look at a map and know where you're going."
Marty Benson of DNR says the dams are easy to recognize from below because they look like small waterfalls, but they can be hard to spot from upstream.
"Once you get close to that dam, and usually close enough to see it actually is a dam, it's too late,” said Benson. “The only thing you can really do is turn your kayak perpendicular to the current and paddle as though your life depends on it. Because it does."
He said the only way to safely pass a dam is to get out of the water.
"We've had professional rescuers drown when trying to rescue people, we've had expert kayakers wearing life jackets drown even when they know what they were doing," said Benson.
Information and maps of dam locations can be found here. A map of real-time water flow conditions can be found here.
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