TEMPE, Ariz. — Take a visit to Tempe Town Lake and you’ll notice orange boxes with the markings “Emergency 911 Life Ring.”
“We’re in the process of installing 37 flotation devices here at Tempe Town Lake,” said Tempe Community Services Director Craig Hayton.
Nine will be added to Kiwanis Park Lake.
“We’re really gearing the locations to water access points. So here at the marina and some of the docks, we do have. As well as boat launches and docks,” said Hayton.
Each orange box houses a floatation ring attached to a 100-foot rope. The city had the boxes customized for easy access for the public to use in an emergency.
This is all in response to the drowning of Sean Bickings, who drowned in Tempe Town Lake over a year ago.
It happened after police were called to the area for a domestic dispute. Bickings was seen on police body-worn camera video swimming away from officers but seconds later, he was in distress and police weren’t able to help him due to a lack of water rescue training and tools.
Since then, the city has announced a new initiative to prevent drownings, including training police officers and providing them with throw bags.
Swimming is not allowed at Tempe Town Lake, but should someone take the plunge. The floating rings will be available in case of an emergency.
Up to Speed
Catch up on the latest news and stories on the 12News YouTube channel. Subscribe today.
More ways to get 12News
On your phone: Download the 12News app for the latest local breaking news straight to your phone.
On your streaming device: Download 12News+ to your streaming device
The free 12News+ app from 12News lets users stream live events — including daily newscasts like "Today in AZ" and "12 News" and our daily lifestyle program, "Arizona Midday"—on Roku and Amazon Fire TV.
12News+ showcases live video throughout the day for breaking news, local news, weather and even an occasional moment of Zen showcasing breathtaking sights from across Arizona.