RIVER SAFETY: Regulations needed

I was talking with my electrician, a lifetime resident of Coeur d’Alene, about the Spokane River. He has lived on the river all his adult life but will not use it anymore since his little boy was almost taken out by a jet-skier anxious to jump the wake of his boat while he was towing his son on a tube.

We have both seen so many near misses and sadly agree it is no longer safe to enjoy the river. Good for the boat sellers … good for the out-of-state developers of riverfront properties … good for the wake boaters who do not understand that 50 feet away from shore or docks does not mean 10 feet and good for surfers. Bad for swimmers, kayakers, paddleboarders, fishermen, water skiers and boaters of non-wakeboard boats.

I was thrown off my seat coming upriver because we didn’t see the wake we were approaching until we were on it. The surf wake does not crest … it rolls, and they are no fun to hit for anyone other than the surfer. My electrician friend is right; it will take a death or two before common sense regulation of this waterway is enforced. From what I see on a daily basis, that won’t be too much longer.

JANICE` ELLISON

Coeur d’Alene