Monday the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office asked the North Carolina Department of Transportation to block off access to the two boat landings on the Pee Dee River in Richmond County. Heavy rain in recent days has swollen the river.
The boat landing on Blewett Falls Road at the dam was closed as well as the boat landing at the Pee Dee River bridge, said Sheriff James Clemmons Jr. on Tuesday, who added that the barricades would remain up while the river was further evaluated for safety. Those boat landings have since been reopened.
The landings were closed due to an incident Sunday in which two boaters lost their boat and needed to be rescued from the river, and officials determined that water levels on the Pee Dee River had created a dangerous situation for boaters.
On Tuesday, Clemmons said he believed the river was still unsafe for boats.
“If anybody goes on the water, it’s at their own risk,” said Clemmons. “We are asking people to be patient. The waters are very swift and rough. I always have public safety in mind first. We are asking everyone to use common sense but if you go on the river it will be against the advice of your chief law enforcement officer.”
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