Videos focus on how to know and ride Sacramento’s rivers, and how to stay safe

Sacramento is blessed with two major rivers on its flanks, waterways that create a popular recreation area at their confluence just north of downtown.

The American and Sacramento rivers provide significant recreational opportunities, with great fishing, room to water ski and diverse conditions favored by people piloting kayaks, rafts and even inner tubes.

The rivers also harbor deadly danger and claim through drowning several lives every year, with Discovery Park, that broad meeting place for the American and Sacramento, site of many of those deaths. Most victims are not wearing personal flotation devices – life jackets – when they succumb.

These videos provide close looks at how to safely enjoy riding the river, what to know about dangers presented by the water and shore and how to avoid becoming a victim.

The following map shows drownings in Sacramento-area waters in the warm season of 2015. Note the concentration of tragedy near Discover Park.

This story was originally published June 11, 2016 at 1:00 PM with the headline "Videos focus on how to know and ride Sacramento’s rivers, and how to stay safe."