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Article published Jun 9, 2009 Townsend tubing companies regulate safety on the Little River
By Matthew Stewart of The Daily Times Staff
Despite last weekend's relatively high number of injured tubers, Townsend city officials say many business owners are doing a good job of regulating traffic on the Little River.
Townsend volunteer firefighters responded to eight calls regarding stranded and injured tubers on a rough section of the river, said Townsend Volunteer Fire Chief Don Stallions.
The Little River is a relatively safe river to tube, Stallions said. One section, however, has posed problems through the years, he said.Stallions said there is a short drop, near the bend in the Little River across from the KOA campground, that can spill people out of their tubes and sometimes onto the rocks.
"With high water, it's very dangerous. It's a real bad place," said Townsend Police Chief Ron Suttles.
"I think some of the businesses do a good job of regulating tubing. I've seen them tell people not to go tubing, or to go tubing on the other part of the river," Stallions said, referring to Little River's lower end, which is calmer than farther upstream.Tubing companies rule
Shannon Skidmore, owner of River Rat, said his business had no problems this past weekend. River Rat places age restrictions on the upper part of Little River, and employees were primarily sending people on the lower part this past weekend, he said.
Employees provide all children under 12 years old with life preservers, Skidmore said. Adults are required to wear life preservers when water flows become too fast, he said.
River Rat publishes water levels and flows every day, Skidmore said. He said his business, which is in its 15th season, has its own standards for how to deal with these water conditions. "We work on them every year to make sure its safe."
Travis Grant, the son of River Rage owner Jerry Grant, said the business also has age restrictions and life preserver requirements. Employees also give instructions to tubers about how to successfully navigate the river, he said. "We want to make it as safe and enjoyable as possible."
River Rage employees do not send anyone to the river's upper end if they think the person will be a danger to themselves or others, Grant said. "We can inform, but we can't enforce. If you use common sense, it's a family fun adventure."River reclassification?
Police and fire officials are constantly working with KOA employees to ensure all tubers are safe in the rough section, Suttles said. The Little River is classified as a navigable river, which means it is a public river, he said.
"With the river being the way it is, there's not much we can do as far as enforcement as long as they don't get out," Suttles said.
Townsend police officers try to restrict the use of bottles or cans on the river and keep tubers off private property, he said. "There is so much human traffic that it's hard enough to keep them off the businesses and residences."
If officials reclassified the river, Suttles said his officers could better enforce tubing on the Little River. "It's something that needs to be looked at. It needs to be controlled in some way," he said.
Suttles said he thinks officials should determine what are the proper conditions for tubers being on the Little River. The study ideally would take property owners, business people and tubers into account, he said.
Skidmore, who is also a Townsend city commissioner, said officials looked at reclassifying the river several years ago. City commissioners decided it wouldn't be in the city's best interest, he said.