Incident Leads to a Reminder of Practicing Safe Drinking While Tubing

Tubing down a creek or a river is something many love doing to cool down on hot days in Central New York. Just a few weekends ago, my friends and I went down the West Canada Creek. We had a great time. Some, however, didn't get so lucky.

Earlier this week, the Poland Fire Department and the Kuyahoora Valley Water Rescue were called out to assist tubers on the creek. They were not in an area of rapids, but instead were in deep water.

Luckily everyone is safe, but the incident prompted the campground to release a reminder on their Facebook page about the importance of making smart decisions while tubing.

"Please remember that tubing the West Canada Creek is fun and a great way to spend the day, but excessive alcohol and poor tube choices can make things dangerous!" 

They also mentioned the importance of bringing a tube that can withstand the environment for river/creek tubing - mentioning that pool tubes do not fall in that category.

"Be sure to bring a tube that can tolerate the environment of the river - rocks, sticks, debris in the river - pool tubes are typically not very good on the river."

Many of those who decide to tube down West Canada bring a cooler with alcoholic beverages to enjoy on the way down. While there's nothing wrong with that - overindulging can lead to bad decisions. The campground said several of the drownings that have happened in the past have been directly related to someone drinking too much.

'If you are going to bring alcohol on the river, remember that this can and will impair your judgement. Several drownings that have happened were directly attributed to alcohol. Drink in moderation and remember that the sun and heat will magnify the effects of alcohol."

Interested in tubing but not sure what you need to do? Find out more here.