Nature

IMPROVING SAFETY AT URBAN PITS MEMORIAL PARK. AFTER SEVERAL DROWNINGS IN THE SALUDA RIVER OVER THE PAST FEW YEARS. MOST RECENTLY, TWO MEN DIED IN THE RIVER ABOUT TWO WEEKS APART EARLIER THIS SUMMER. THATS IN ADDITION TO TWO DROWNINGS IN 2022. TONIGHT, WHERE TOWN LEADERS CONTINUE LOOKING AT WHAT CAN BE DONE ABOUT THE GROWING PROBLEM. OUR NATE STANLEY SPOKE WITH TOWN LEADERS TONIGHT ABOUT THE STEPS THEYRE HOPING TO TAKE MOVING FORWARD. NATE. NIGEL AND CAROL SITTING BEHIND ME IS ACTUALLY ONE OF THE STEPS THAT THE TOWN HAS TAKEN TO PROMOTE SAFETY. IT IS THIS SIGN THAT IS SAT HERE WITH INSTRUCTIONS ON HOW TO PUT ON A LIFE JACKET. IF YOU TAKE A LOOK AT IT. WEVE TALKED ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF ENGLISH AND SPANISH SPEAKING PEOPLE BEING ABLE TO READ THIS SIGN, AND AS YOU SEE, THERE ARE INSTRUCTIONS ON HOW TO PUT A LIFE JACKET ON IN ENGLISH AND SPANISH. AS I MENTIONED A FEW WEEKS AGO, WE WERE HERE AND SIGNS LIKE THIS WERE NOT HERE AND NOW THEY ARE AT TONIGHTS SPECIAL CALLED MEETING MEMBERS OF THE TOWN SPOKE ABOUT MORE STEPS THE TOWN CAN TAKE TO KEEP PEOPLE SAFE HERE. ROCKS ARE SLIPPERY. YOU COULD EASILY SLIP. SO WE JUST WANT PEOPLE TO BE SAFE. A RIVER THAT CONTINUES TO CAUSE CONCERN. AND WARE SHOALS. JUST WEEKS AGO, THE RIVER CLAIMED THE LIVES OF TWO MEN. IN ABOUT TWO WEEKS. IVE EVEN GOT FACEBOOK MESSAGES FROM CITIZENS ON FACEBOOK MESSENGER THAT ARE SAYING, HEY, WELL PAY FOR SIGNS. WELL DO THIS. SO THE PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITY ARE CONCERNED ABOUT IT. MAYOR BRIAN ROSS TELLS US BOTH OF THE RECENT DROWNING VICTIMS WERE HISPANIC MEN WHO SPOKE PRIMARILY SPANISH FIREFIGHTERS, TELLING US TONIGHT THE TOWN ORDERED MORE SPANISH CAUTION SIGNS. ROSS WANTS TO SEE THOSE ALONG WITH OTHER FORMS OF COMMUNICATION, ADDING ADDITIONAL SIGNS IN BOTH SPANISH AND ENGLISH. I THINK THAT IS GOING TO BE VERY BENEFICIAL. I THINK HAVING VIDEOS, LIKE WE SAID, WITH THE QR CODES, I THINK PUTTING THOSE ON THERE AND HAVING IT TO WHERE PEOPLE CAN ACCESS THAT AND SEE VIDEOS, MAYOR ROSS ALSO SAYS IN RECENT WEEKS, THE TOWN HAS WORKED TO KEEP ACTIVITIES ALONG THE RIVER. ALCOHOL FREE. OUR POLICE OFFICERS HAVE BEEN DOWN IN CIVILIAN CLOTHING AND THEY ARE THEY ARE WRITING TICKETS AND ADDRESSING THAT ISSUE, AND THEYRE OUT THERE EVERY WEEKEND NOW. THE COMMUNITY ALSO SHARED IDEAS AT THE MEETING, WHICH THE MAYOR SAYS HELL REVIEW. WE WANT TO CONTINUE TO BUILD THAT EDUCATION OF RIVER SAFETY. YOU KNOW, WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY KNOW WHERE A LIFE JACKET, WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY KNOW ALL THE THINGS THEY NEED TO DO BEFORE THEY GET INTO THAT RIVER. AND MAYOR ROSS ALSO SAYS A REPRESENTATIVE FROM THE SOUTH CAROLINA DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES WAS SUPPOSED TO BE THERE TONIGHT, BUT THEY DID NOT ATTEND. MAYOR ROSS SAYS THEY DO PLAN ON WORKING WITH THE AGENCY, MOVING FORWARD. REPO