Following the tragic death of a father and son last year, a private security firm was hired to patrol the Whitewater River area and turn away people who attempt to hang out, swim, and cool off there. As it turns out, despite the warnings about how dangerous that is, plenty of of people are still trying to go.
The Coachella Valley Water District, who hired the patrols, passed along to KESQ that hundreds of cars are being turned away each week and there was one day where a whopping 184 cars were turned around by a security guard upon trying to enter.
And while it’s easy to be angry and confused about why so many people would willingly put their lives (and the lives of family members) on the line by looking to hang out at the Whitewater River, it should also raise awareness for the fact that there appear to be plenty of people who are looking for someway, anyway to cool off in these scorching hot temperatures – and maybe our local communities should be looking to do more to help those with little money and limited resources with ways to stay cool during the summer.
