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Boating safety top of mind as busy season approaches

OAKMONT, Pa. — Boating season will soon rev up on Pittsburgh’s three rivers, and ahead of the season, water safety officials are taking action.

The U.S Army Corps of Engineers and several other water safety organizations are hosting a summit Friday to prepare boaters for the busy season.

“We are fortunate in Pittsburgh to have three rivers. Not many cities have three major rivers that form the major Ohio River, so people, when it warms up, they want to recreate. Sometimes they’re not thinking … sometimes they’re not thinking how to be safe,” U.S Army Corps of Engineers spokesman Jeff Hawk said.

One warning officials want to give is to be cautious of heavy river congestion, especially with kayaks, paddle boards, and canoes because they are the most susceptible to injuries.

“If they’re towing a tube, or whatever they’re doing out there having fun, and you have to watch out for them,” James Joyce, a boater, said. “It’s like a busy highway with no direct line in the middle when you’re coming and going.”

In addition, the U.S Army Corps of Engineers is warning that it hasn’t been able to put buoys in place yet because water levels are too high, so boaters need to watch for locks and dams -- there are 23.

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