FRESNO - Fresno County Sheriff's deputies responded to a report of five people and a dog floating in a raft down the San Joaquin River. The group launched its raft in the town of Friant and began traveling south through the Lost Lake area. There, a crew aboard EAGLE One flew overhead and made announcements over a speaker system for the crew to exit the river. The group floated another mile downstream before finally safely reaching the shore.
Deputies on patrol contacted the group and notified them that due to dangerous conditions, both the San Joaquin and Kings Rivers are closed to recreational users. Under Fresno County Ordinance 13.32.080, Sheriff John Zanoni put this order in place on March 14th in the best interest of public safety.
The rafters said they were not aware of the closure. Nevertheless, deputies issued tickets to each of the five people for violating Penal Code 409.5(c), unauthorized entry to an area closed for emergency purposes. This infraction comes with a minimum fine of $225.00.
As a reminder, the public is denied river access until further notice. This includes all recreational activities such as boating, canoeing, kayaking, swimming, floating, etc. Fishing from the banks is highly discouraged. During the closure, deputies will conduct patrol checks and monitor activity on both rivers. Deputies will strictly enforce this closure, and violators will be subject to citations.
