Reno Fire Department officials say it’s too dangerous to swim in the Truckee River. It’s flowing fast, it’s cold, and there’s a lot of debris. As the region heats up, more snow will melt, escalating these factors, which can make it really difficult to get out of the river on your own. Even the best swimmers are at risk. Collin Butcher, a fire equipment operator, is also on the Water Entry Team, which responds to river rescues.
“When we go in, we’re wearing multiple layers of thermal protection, a dry suit, helmet,” Butcher said. “To get in this water without the thermal protection, it’s quite literally going to take your breath away, which puts you in a state of shock right away, and then your reflexes to try to stay above and think clearly. Your physical ability to swim are impacted almost immediately.”
Historic snowfall in the region followed by a warm trend is leading to that snow melting, explained Edan Lindaman a senior meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Reno.
“Unfortunately, we were pretty cold through much of March where we would typically see a bit of melting, but now we're kind of dealing with that at this point here in late April,” Lindaman said.
If you see someone who needs help, call 911, try to give the operator a description of the person, and stay on the scene. Department officials estimate they’ll ask people to avoid swimming in the Truckee River through June. That warning is especially true for children and pets.
