BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KERO) \u2014 Sergeant Rodney Jones with the Kern County Sheriff’s Office said that while deputies can warn residents about the dangers of rivers and lakes, those warnings have limits.<\/p>\n
“If they’re in the proper safety gear – a helmet, a life-vest, and they can swim – I can’t stop them from doing that.”<\/p>\n
Since the day after Memorial Day, the sheriff’s office has recorded eight rescues and five recovered persons from the Lower and Upper Kern River.<\/p>\n
A two-day training session at Pyles Boys Camp near Lake Ming gave volunteers hands-on practice in critical search and rescue tactics. Sergeant Tim Coughron said volunteers covered a wide range of techniques.<\/p>\n
“Today for the river training, you’re seeing a combination of a rescuer going into the water and grabbing a victim and moving them to the side, and we’re also training to grabbing a victim and bringing them up into the air.”<\/p>\n
Kern County Sheriff’s Office Public Information Officer Lori Meza said combining water and aerial support gives rescuers multiple vantage points to more precisely locate someone in danger.<\/p>\n
“You know that seconds make the difference …like I said…merging these skills from not only being able to hike to where the location is but also to be able to see where their location is…”<\/p>\n
Meza said the goal is not only to save lives, but also to teach the public what signs to watch for when someone may be in danger.<\/p>\n
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.<\/p>\n
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