Rafting Gone Wild organizer arrested again 4 years after jumping off bridge to escape
A man who once hurled himself off a bridge to escape park rangers was arrested again Saturday after organizing another Rafting Gone Wild event on the American River.
Sammy Diaz was arrested on suspicion of violating terms of his probation and willful disobedience of a court order, authorities said. He was being held without bail at Sacramento County Main Jail and is scheduled to appear in court Tuesday, according to jail records.
Authorities said Diaz, 27, is still on probation following a 2016 arrest and he is not allowed on the American River under terms of a court order. Diaz has a history of organizing rafting events without permits, including Rafting Gone Wild, which prompted the Sacramento Regional Parks director to restrict alcohol consumption on the American River on Saturday “to protect public safety.”
County officials have prohibited drinking on the river during Rafting Gone Wild since 2013, a year after 23 people were arrested following a drunken brawl that resulted in the destruction of public and private property. In 2019, at least 30 people had to be rescued by firefighters during another Rafting Gone Wild event on the American River near Rancho Cordova.
Diaz made headlines in 2016 when park rangers attempted to cite him for failing to obtain a permit. Diaz jumped off the PCA Bridge and floated away as crowds onshore cheered his escape. Diaz was eventually arrested when rangers found him at another unpermitted rafting event the following month.
