Merced County Sheriff warns people to stay out of fast-flowing, ice-cold rivers

The Merced County sheriff has shut down all public access to the Merced River and San Joaquin River until further notice, according to a social media post by the Merced County Sheriff’s Office on Thursday.

According to Sheriff Vern Warnke, the water level is high with fast-moving, ice-cold water.

“I know that the weather’s warming up, we all want to get wet because that’s our favorite thing to do but do it in a swimming pool,” Warnke said in a video posted to the Merced County Sheriff’s Office social media pages. “Don’t do it in the canals, don’t do it in the rivers and don’t go out where you know it’s dangerous,” he said.

“So stay out of the water.”

Warnke went on to explain that conditions are dangerous saying that the Merced County Sheriff’s Office dive and rescue team does not need to be out risking their lives to save someone who should not have been in the water in the first place.

People can still enjoy fishing and recreation around the lakes and in the foothills and have a good time in areas that are safe, according to Warnke.

“But stay out of the divers, please. It’s fast, dangerous and ice cold,” Warnke said.

Anyone who chooses to ignore the closure could be cited and fined, according to the post.

According to the National Weather Service Advanced Hydrologic Prediction Service, the Merced River at Stevinson was at 70.74 feet on Sunday.