Authorities out in force as Rafters Gone Wild gets under way

More than 1,000 rafters have taken to the American River in today’s second annual Rafters Gone Wild event publicized through Facebook and other social media that’s expected to draw as many as 3,000 revelers to the Sacramento waterway.

Law enforcement and rescue personnel are out in force, with as many as 50 to 60 officers patrolling the waters, authorities said.

Scott Cockrum, deputy chief of the Sacramento Metropolitan Fire Department, said there has been one call for rescue so far with a person struggling in the San Juan rapids without a life jacket. While the rafting events initial hours have been calm, Cockrum said it could take hours before authorities start to see problems on the river.

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