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'Not enough manpower': Former Noccalula Falls guard on the difficulty of keeping swimmers out of water

'Not enough manpower': Former Noccalula Falls guard on the difficulty of keeping swimmers out of water
13 NEWS AT SIX STARTS NOW. A WOMAN鈥橲 DEATH AT NOCCALULA FALLS IS EXPOSING POSSIBLE DANGERS OF THE PARK. THANKS FOR JOINING US AT SIX. I鈥橫 GUY RAWLINGS AND I鈥橫 BRITTANY DECKER. A WOMAN DROWNED THIS WEEKEND WHILE SWIMMING IN BLACK CREEK. EVEN THOUGH IT鈥橲 PROHIBITED. BUT CLEARLY, PEOPLE ARE EITHER UNAWARE OF THE PARC RULE OR THEY CHOOSE TO IGNORE IT. THE RECENT TRAGEDY HAS SHOWN HOW DANGEROUS THOSE WATERS CAN BE. 米兰体育13鈥橲 LISA CRANE SPOKE TO A FORMER SECURITY GUARD THERE, AND THE VICTIM鈥橲 SON ABOUT HOW TO PREVENT ANY FURTHER TRAGEDIES. FOR THE MORE IT RAINS, THE MORE IMPRESSIVE NOCCALULA FALLS BECOME. THE BEAUTY OF ALL THAT WATER COMING OVER THE FALLS MAY HIDE THE DANGER. AS THE WATER IN BLACK CREEK SHOOTS DOWN THE NARROW GORGE, THE SPEED AND STRENGTH RESULTING CATEGORY FOUR RAPIDS, WHICH CAN QUICKLY PUSH YOU UNDER AND KEEP YOU THERE. A FORMER SECURITY GUARD AT THE FALLS HASN鈥橳 WORKED HERE IN A FEW YEARS, BUT STILL LOVES THIS NATURAL WONDER. EVERY DEATH THAT HAPPENS AT THE FALL, I THINK PERSONALLY, I THINK OF HIS OWN FAMILY OR SOMEONE OF MY FAMILY. IT IT BOTHERS ME THAT IT鈥橲 NOT PREVENTABLE 100% OF THE TIME. THERE ARE SOME SIGNS AT TRAILHEADS IN THE PARK LETTING VISITORS KNOW SWIMMING, EVEN WADING, IS PROHIBITED. BUT SAYS TO PHYSICALLY KEEP THEM OUT OF THE WATER. YOU鈥橠 HAVE TO HAVE GUARDS PATROLLING IN THE GORGE, WHICH IS TREACHEROUS AND WOULD BE TIME CONSUMING IF PEOPLE BREAK IN TO GO SWIMMING. AND FROM THE TOP OF THE CLIFFS OF THE ROCK. I WASN鈥橳 ALLOWED TO GO INTO GORGE BECAUSE IT WOULD TAKE ME AWAY FROM THE RESPONSIBILITIES FOR REST PARC. AND THERE鈥橲 NOT ENOUGH MANPOWER TO MAN THAT GORGE. THE SON OF REGINA SMITH, WHO DIED IN THE GORGE ON SUNDAY, SAYS HE鈥橲 CONVINCED HIS MOM DIDN鈥橳 UNDERSTAND HOW DANGEROUS THE HIGH WATER WAS. HE SUGGESTS PUTTING UP A PHYSICAL BARRIER TO SHOW PEOPLE WHERE THE DANGERS BEGIN. IF THERE鈥橲 A ROPE, A ROPE THAT鈥橲 TELLING YOU, HEY, THIS IS THE POINT THAT YOU DON鈥橳 GO PAST, THEN PEOPLE USUALLY ADHERE TO THAT. EVEN TODAY, LESS THAN 24 HOURS AFTER SMITH鈥橲 BODY WAS RECOVERED FROM BLACK CREEK PARK, WORKERS HERE TELL ME THAT VISITORS SHOWED UP SAYING THEY WANTED TO SWIM. NOW THE WORKERS TOLD THEM IT WAS PROHIBITED, BUT THEY鈥橰E NOT SURE IF THOSE PAR
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'Not enough manpower': Former Noccalula Falls guard on the difficulty of keeping swimmers out of water
A woman's death at Noccalula Falls has exposed the hidden dangers of the park. A woman drowned this weekend while swimming in Black Creek, even though it's prohibited. But, clearly, people are either unaware of that park rule or they choose to ignore it. The recent tragedy has shown how dangerous those waters can be. The more it rains, the more impressive Noccalula Falls become. The beauty of all that water coming over the falls may hide its danger. As the water in Black Creek shoots down the narrow gorge, the speed and strength result in category 4 rapids, which can quickly push you under and keep you there. Alan Perander is a former security guard at the falls. He hasn鈥檛 worked there in a few years but still loves the natural wonder.He said, 鈥淓very death that happens at the falls, I take personally, I think of it as my own family or someone in my family. It bothers me that it's not preventable 100% of the time.鈥漈here are signs at trail heads in the park letting visitors know swimming, even wading, is prohibited. But Perander said to physically keep them out of the water, you'd have to have guards patrolling down in the gorge, which is treacherous and would be time consuming. He added, 鈥淲e had people break in and go swimming from the top of the cliffs to the rock. I wasn't allowed to go in the gorge, because it would take me away from my responsibilities and from the rest of the park. And there's not enough manpower to man the gorge.鈥漈he son of Regina Smith, who died in the gorge on Sunday, said he's convinced his mom didn't understand how dangerous the high water was. He suggests putting up a physical barrier to show people where the dangers begin.He said, 鈥淚f there's a rope, a red rope that's telling you, hey, this is the point that you don't go past, then people usually adhere to that.鈥滶ven Wednesday, less than 24 hours after Smith's body was recovered from Black Creek, workers at the park said several people showed up to swim. They said they told them it was not allowed, but they're not sure if the park visitors listened.BackgroundEmergency crews have recovered the body of Regina Smith, a 51-year-old mother, at the gorge of Noccalula Falls in Gadsden on Tuesday.Smith was last seen on a raft in Black Creek while spending time with her family at the park. Her body was found after nearly two days of searching, just a few hundred feet from where she was last seen.>> LIVE UPDATES: What we know about the death of Regina SmithSmith had been enjoying the water with her husband and children when she went around a bend and disappeared. Her husband shared that she had been in good spirits, waving to the kids before vanishing.The search involved multiple agencies, including swift water rescue teams and local emergency responders. The recovery was challenging due to the dangerous conditions in the gorge, an area officials strongly advise visitors to avoid.Smith鈥檚 oldest son, Dawson, talked about his mom to 米兰体育13鈥檚 Lisa Crane. He said he doesn鈥檛 think she realized the danger. Noccalula Falls Park remains open, but visitors are urged to stay away from the gorge trail and surrounding areas.

A woman's death at Noccalula Falls has exposed the hidden dangers of the park. A woman drowned this weekend while swimming in Black Creek, even though it's prohibited. But, clearly, people are either unaware of that park rule or they choose to ignore it. The recent tragedy has shown how dangerous those waters can be.

The more it rains, the more impressive Noccalula Falls become. The beauty of all that water coming over the falls may hide its danger. As the water in Black Creek shoots down the narrow gorge, the speed and strength result in category 4 rapids, which can quickly push you under and keep you there. Alan Perander is a former security guard at the falls. He hasn鈥檛 worked there in a few years but still loves the natural wonder.

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He said, 鈥淓very death that happens at the falls, I take personally, I think of it as my own family or someone in my family. It bothers me that it's not preventable 100% of the time.鈥�

There are signs at trail heads in the park letting visitors know swimming, even wading, is prohibited. But Perander said to physically keep them out of the water, you'd have to have guards patrolling down in the gorge, which is treacherous and would be time consuming. He added, 鈥淲e had people break in and go swimming from the top of the cliffs to the rock. I wasn't allowed to go in the gorge, because it would take me away from my responsibilities and from the rest of the park. And there's not enough manpower to man the gorge.鈥�

The son of Regina Smith, who died in the gorge on Sunday, said he's convinced his mom didn't understand how dangerous the high water was. He suggests putting up a physical barrier to show people where the dangers begin.

He said, 鈥淚f there's a rope, a red rope that's telling you, hey, this is the point that you don't go past, then people usually adhere to that.鈥�

Even Wednesday, less than 24 hours after Smith's body was recovered from Black Creek, workers at the park said several people showed up to swim. They said they told them it was not allowed, but they're not sure if the park visitors listened.

Background

Emergency crews have recovered the body of Regina Smith, a 51-year-old mother, at the gorge of Noccalula Falls in Gadsden on Tuesday.

Smith was last seen on a raft in Black Creek while spending time with her family at the park. Her body was found after nearly two days of searching, just a few hundred feet from where she was last seen.

>> LIVE UPDATES: What we know about the death of Regina Smith

Smith had been enjoying the water with her husband and children when she went around a bend and disappeared. Her husband shared that she had been in good spirits, waving to the kids before vanishing.

The search involved multiple agencies, including swift water rescue teams and local emergency responders. The recovery was challenging due to the dangerous conditions in the gorge, an area officials strongly advise visitors to avoid.

Smith鈥檚 oldest son, Dawson, talked about his mom to 米兰体育13鈥檚 Lisa Crane. He said he doesn鈥檛 think she realized the danger.

Noccalula Falls Park remains open, but visitors are urged to stay away from the gorge trail and surrounding areas.