NARROWSBURG, NY — Before turning to its regular business, and with summer in full swing, the Upper Delaware Council got an update on the National Park Service’s river safety project.

Ingrid Peterec, chief of interpretation, and Rob Babus, law enforcement park ranger—both from the National Park Service (NPS)—attended the July 6 meeting to introduce the park service’s new initiative and debut a new way to share information about the river safety. 

Since 1980, there have been 77 recorded deaths on the Delaware River. Through implementing and publicizing safety protocols, the NPS is actively working on reducing the average number of casualties. The main cause of river drownings is swimming without wearing a lifejacket, being unprepared for rough currents and the use of alcohol or drugs. In 2022, there were three recorded deaths on the river. 

Babus said that one of the prime organizations that helps keep visitors safe is the National Canoe Safety Patrol (NCSP). This volunteer patrol monitors targeted areas known for dangerous river conditions, most notably Skinner’s Falls. In 2022, the NCSP made nearly 11,000 contacts while patrolling the river. It rescued 146 people and made 24 calls to park rangers.

To help river users wear lifejackets, the park service has also implemented lifejacket loaner stations, set up at various river points identified as treacherous. Those stations contain lifejackets in all sizes, ranging from infant to adult. The lifejackets are available for river users to borrow at their starting points and return at the end of their journey. Rangers also carry lifejackets on their water craft to lend to visitors who need them. 

Through a 2012 partnership with JSI Research and Training Insitute, the NPS researched the statistics of lifejacket use and created the water safety campaign. 

Peterec noted that this program runs effectively when there is a substantial number of volunteers to assist the rangers. The park service is actively searching for volunteers to help monitor the river for safety.The volunteers would perch on the riverbank to collect data for a four-hour period. 

Other components of the water safety campaign are “Wear It” roadside signs and new eye-catching billboards throughout the valley.

Before closing out their presentation, Peterec and Babus announced that the NPS has produced an informative video for guests to watch prior to embarking on their river trips. The video will play at locations such as camp stores, reservation stations and river-trip buses, and will be posted to the website. The video is available in both English and Spanish.

In other business

The council was apprised of sightings of three northern snakeheads at Callicoon, and received word that the Delaware State Forest, comprising over 83,000 acres in Pike, Carbon and Monroe counties, acquired an additional 550 acres with the purchase of a private hunting camp.

To reach Peterec to inquire about becoming a river safety volunteer, email Ingrid_Peterec@nps.gov.

For more about river safety, click here.