Salt River Tubing hands the keys to local limousine business owner after 43 years
Salt River Tubing owners are saying goodbye to the east Mesa staple for river-goers and water lovers, but fear not. The couple is handing the keys to a local limousine owner.
Henri and Lynda Breault said in a statement they have been blessed to be "partners in recreation with" the U.S. Forest Service for the past 43 years. The couple said they are leaving a legacy of promoting the "protection and conservation of natural resources while (providing) reasonably safe, quality recreational opportunities and public bus transportation."
The program won four U.S. Department of Interior Take Pride in America awards for the company's conservation efforts in the Tonto National Forest since 1991.
"It has been a phenomenal tubing adventure," the couple said in their statement. "It's time to say goodbye."
William Jinks, the owner of Jet Limousines, is Salt River Tubing's new owner.
Annual visitors can expect new features this summer, including online tube reservations. The interior of the facility along Ellsworth Road and Bush Highway is undergoing remodeling. The 2023 season is set to open April 29, barring any issues with weather or water flow conditions.
Time to watch Salt River Tubing grow with new owners
Over the past two years the Breaults had retirement on their mind and knew it was time to give the reins to someone else.
The whole thing began back in 1980, when Henri was on vacation and saw the Salt River. He knew it would be a prime spot for an organized tubing company. In the 1940s, his family started the Apple River tubing company in Wisconsin. With the help of the U.S. Forest Service, they were able to provide areas for parking and build bathrooms, Lynda, his wife said.
"It was the Wild, Wild West back then," she said. Now 43 years later, they're ready to see the tubing legacy move into the modern age with Jinks. "We felt like we've done all we can do to make it a recreational spot," Lynda said. "It's time to watch it grow with someone else."
Lynda said Jinks had been a Maricopa County Sheriff's Office volunteer and helped Salt River Tubing for years providing safety services. He became part of the tubing family. Jinks has the Breaults' confidence that he will continue the mission to provide a "recreational paradise," continue to be a good steward of public land and keep the tubing tradition alive.
It will be "new beings out there," Lynda said.
Reporter Maritza Dominguez covers Mesa/Gilbert and can be reached at maritza.dominguez@arizonarepublic.com or 480-271-0646. Follow her on Twitter @maritzacdom.
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Salt River Tubing near Mesa has new owners: What to know
