A fatal collision on Auke Lake last weekend prompted some renewed calls Monday and Tuesday for changes to how the lake can legally be used.
Sixteen-year-old Juneau-Douglas High School student Savannah Cayce was critically injured Saturday afternoon when a jet ski collided with the inner tube in which she and another 16-year-old girl were being towed by another jet ski, according to a police statement. Cayce died from her injuries at Harborview Medical Center in Seattle Monday morning. A police investigation into the incident is ongoing.
Speaking at a City and Borough of Juneau Assembly meeting Monday night as a member of the public, Michael Williams said his 16-year-old daughter had witnessed the incident. He read out what he said was a list of suggestions on how to improve safety at Auke Lake from an anonymous friend he said used to live there.
“Establish clear legal authority for regulation of the lake,” read Williams, who sits on Juneau Docks and Harbors’ board of directors but said he was only “speaking for myself,” not in an official capacity. “Develop motorized, non-motorized and swimming areas and hours of operations — has been done, but not enforced. Limit size, speed and horsepower of motorized vessels. Within the motorized area, have defined directions of travel. Prohibit float planes on the lake.”
Some who weren’t at the meeting also had concerns. Among them is Tom Rutecki, a research biologist who serves on the Juneau Parks and Recreation Advisory Committee, Rutecki said Tuesday that he has had safety concerns about Auke Lake for years. He said he thinks the most important issue is “density” and that the number of vehicles allowed on the lake at any given time should be limited.
“I just think right now, it’s totally unsafe to go swimming in that lake on a nice day,” said Rutecki.
Rutecki also sat on PRAC in 2006 when its then-chairwoman, Joan O’Keefe, drafted a letter to the CBJ Assembly Lands Committee recommending motor boats and jet skis be prohibited on Auke Lake due to the “small size” of the body of water. That letter, Rutecki said, was never entered into the record, despite PRAC’s efforts.
Rutecki said the regulations that do govern vehicle use on Auke Lake, including separate use areas marked by buoys, are not widely understood and not consistently enforced.
“There’s absolutely no enforcement … and people don’t even know what the rules are,” Rutecki said. “The Assembly, they hold all the cards in this. I think they have to come up with better rules than they have now. And it doesn’t matter what the rules are — they have to be enforced.”
Mayor Bruce Botelho said he wants to wait for the results of investigation by police and the Parks and Recreation Department, which administers the area, to decide what action he thinks the Assembly should take in response to the incident.
“I think any tragedy like this will trigger, should trigger review of our practices there,” Botelho said.
A state expert from the Anchorage-based Office of Boating Safety, part of the Alaska Department of Natural Resources, said accidents like the on that happened Saturday are more common elsewhere.
State boating law administrator Jeff Johnson, said that collisions involving a vehicle striking an object being towed behind another vehicle are “very rare” in Alaskan waters, though relatively common in the Lower 48.
“We’ve got plenty of room in most cases… in Alaska,” said Johnson, who has held his position since 1998 and said he has never heard of another towing-related fatality in that time.
“Because I’m not familiar with Auke Lake, I would hesitate to opine whether the lake is big enough for different kinds of uses,” said Johnson.
Lt. David Campbell of the Juneau Police Department said that while Auke Lake is under his department’s jurisdiction, as it is within the CBJ’s boundaries, the JPD does not regularly patrol the lake and is rarely called out to respond to incidents there.
“We primarily wait until we get a call from someone complaining about the issue before we look into it,” said Campbell. He said the JPD does not have its own boat or dive team.
CBJ code prohibits motorized vehicles on Auke Lake from operating between the shore and a buoy line, which is roughly 100 feet from the shore in most parts of the lake. It also sets hours for vehicle usage, restricts boat length on the lake to 16 feet, prohibits vehicle refueling on the lake and limits wake height to six inches in places. Restrictions are posted on a large sign at the lake.
• Contact reporter Mark D. Miller at 523-2279 or at mark.d.miller@juneauempire.com.
Comments (76)
Add commentLaws cannot replace common sense
With all due respect to the family and friends of Ms. Cayce, common sense needs to be used when we venture into the outdoors. People need to be able to differentiate between what is safe and what is reckless. A jet ski towing an inner tube seems very reckless to me. It would be like a skate boarder or bicyclist hanging on to the back of a car thats in traffic. I believe these types of accidents are rare exactly because most people understand that.
When people are unable to apply basic safety principles, or blatantly disregard them, then no amount of signs or laws will change that.
More rules won't fix it
Only fewer (or no) powerboats will. It's simply too constrained of a water body to accommodate that density of boat traffic.
The problem's been obvious for several years to anyone driving by. It's unfortunate that it took the tragic loss of a young woman's life to take action.
If the Assembly decides that power boats just have to be accommodated on that little lake, how about a simple rule: No more than one boat under power at any time. That would be pretty easy to enforce.
Auke Lake
I don't live in Juneau any more, but when I did I
don't ever remember a motorized vessel on that
lake except for that super cub. I always thought
back then that no motor boats were allowed.
And that is the point I am getting to, I don't
think motor vessels should be allowed to use
Auke lake. Row boats, canoes, kayaks, float
tubes, etc. Get that airplane off there too, as by
definition a float plane on the water is a
motorized vessel.
That...
I agree with. Limits on the number of watercraft on a lake, established by experts in the field, are a good idea, L58. You make a valid point.
I was simply referring to the recklessness of a jet ski towing an innertube, and with one or more other jet skis in close proximity. No sign or law can replace common sense.
Jet ski mayhem
I have noticed just in the last year the increase in jet ski's on Auke Lake. As one of the few wake boarders that are given the opportunity to enjoy the lake, I have noticed to constant disregard to the rules set by the people who come out on the jet ski's...These jet skiers seem to think that spinning "brodies in the middle of the lake, weaving back and forth with disregard to the set flow of traffic, and jetting at high rates of speed back and forth is acceptable. It is not and the rest of us who use the lake end up suffering. This tragedy was awful! my heart goes out to the family and friends who knew her. We were there that day and had commented prior to the accident that we needed to watch out for the "kids on the jet skis" (although the driver was over 18 he didn't act like it) He was weaving all over that lake with blatant disregard to the rules. Auke lake is our only lake that allows the use of motorized watercraft and those that want to continue to use it responsibly should be allowed to do so. Maybe the city should enforce some kind of motorized water safety class and only those who participate are given a "license" to use motorized water crafts on Auke Lake? I'm not crazy about that idea but its better than the lake becoming off limits to those who do use it responsibly.
simple solution
make it a "no wake" lake, problem solved. Duh
Trying to enforce any rules
Trying to enforce any rules that allow motorized craft on Auke Lake will be a logistical and expensive nightmare. Juneau Police Department is already way understaffed--guidelines call for 2 sworn officers per 1000 inhabitants (JPD falls way below that level). Lt. Campbell has already stated that the department is not proactive in regards to monitor ordinances governing the use of the lake. I really wonder how JPD is expected to enforce rules that would require constant surveillance. Therefore, I think the commonsense thing to do would be to place a ban on the use of all motorcraft on Auke Lake.
Fingerpointing not helpful
This tragedy breaks my heart. I cannot begin to imagine the pain the families and friends of all involved are feeling. It is one of those senseless accidents that forever scar a community.
But I see no need to point fingers and call names. It is not the time to raise pitchforks and go hunting heads. We need to mourn, weep, and let the investigation finish.
There is plenty of finger pointing going around. I heard the driver of the jet ski was drinking. According to the police press release he was NOT. I am sure they checked, but because of rumor this poor individual is getting slammed. I see where the victim was lacking common sense because she was on a tow behind. That is victim bashing, and not ok. Does that only apply to tow behinds a jet ski or does it include motor boats? Water skiing? Wake boarding?
I appreciate the assembly taking a step back and allowing the investigation to finish. There needs to be some action, but I think better education and awareness will be key. We will not make it better with a knee jerk witch hunt. We cannot regulate our lives away. It is bear season maybe we should make all trails off limits, after all don't want to risk a mauling.
Do not bow down
To the opportunists that will use this tragedy to close the lake. Juneau has many lakes and ponds set aside for non motorized use. The swimmers, boaters are not separate user groups. They are there together to enjoy the few warm days of summer.
There was a wreck on Eagen dr. Close the road to motor vehicles. Same mindset as removing boats from the only lake open to them. The other options are twin lakes, and the Glacier. Of the three, where do we want boats?
Mayor Botelho is right
Everyone should wait for full report and act on facts. This was a terrible and sad event. But, it is just as likely a result of poor decision making that led to this accident and not because jet skis are allowed on Auke Lake or because of overcrowding. Accidents happen. Boating accidents happen on saltwater as well.
My sincere condolences to the family and all those that knew Ms. Cayce.
Its all fun and games till....
A tragic accident happens and we all want to knee jerk and shut it down. What happens when we have a paddle craft operator capsize and drown, do we shut the lake down to them because they drown...perhaps a swimmer drowns, do we shut the lake down to swimming? Common sense goes a long way to managing our recreational resources. It was a beautiful day on Saturday and the lake was a huge attraction. Accidents happen, we cannot protect ourselves from ourselves 24/7. I would agree that a direction of travel, manditory boating safety education, an increase of enforcement, restrict horsepower/length of vessels...all these things smell of more government oversite/interdiction and tell me again why we live here in Alaska? The powers that are, have restricted the size of the lake down to a dangerous size for all that want to use it, I'm certain a balance can be found...As for me, I ran my Jetski out the road and launched as it was a bit to crazy for me out there on Saturday and I didn't want to add to the frenzy....Be Safe out there....
@akman59
"The other options are twin lakes, and the Glacier. Of the three, where do we want boats?"
What's wrong with the ocean option?
hurry up and fix everything!
it couldn't have been and accident right? I feel bad for what happend, but please do not make this more than it is, an accident. I've noticed we tend to need to put the blame of an accident somwhere, cause someone,somehow,somewhere allowed somthing that shouldn't be allowed. If anything we need to take the restrictions off of this lake, to think that, that many people can recreate in that small of an area is wrong. The 5-6 maybe 7 people that live along that lake that complain about jet ski noise for the four days a year that are nice enough to use it well tough. That lake is a motorized lake and the only one and it should stay that way, god forbid people in this town be able to recreate and have some fun, again it was an accident but don't go to the extreme and take it all away.
Perhaps this would be a good choice to be on the ballot
Lets get a true sense of where the community stands on this?
Let's see an advisory vote on this to guide the city. If there is a majority for a particular outcome -so be it.
I personally think that the lake is just too small for high powered boats.
I would like to see that lake as a calm and peaceful lake. No fuel motors to pollute it or maybe electric motors.
Duplicate
Duplicate
Accident
This was an ACCIDENT...
Accidents a happen all over the world on or off the water daily.
Come on. I don't mean to be callas but adding restrictions on a lake due to an accident is just ridiculous.
I feel for the family, but accidents happen.
some of you idiots add ridiculous comments daily. Get a life!!!
Tragedy
No doubt was Saturday’s event a tragedy, do we need to point fingers and place blame on one particular person/people? Or begin to debate regulating a water way? There are situations in life that we will never get answers from. How do you think the driver of the jet ski pulling the tube feels? Or the driver of the jet ski that was involved in the accident? Take a moment and put yourself into their situation, they have to live with that tragedy as much as the Cayce family, have some compassion for those involved in this loss. My heart goes out to the Cayce family, they lost a beautiful young women that touched the lives of many.
We also have to remember it was a beautiful day and that equals a large volume of locals getting out and enjoying the weather. Juneau as a community has every right to enjoy motorized vehicles; whether it is ATV's, dirt bikes, planes, jet skis and motorcycles there's plenty of space for us all, we've had enough trails and riding areas eliminated.
Don’t take away the last few areas that our community will get to share space in.
I do agree with having designated areas for swimming, non-motorized boating and motorized boats/jet skis, I do not agree with shutting Auke Lake down to motorized vehicles.
We all have to live together, we all should be able to play together.
RIP Savannah Cayce
I have always wondered why
I have always wondered why they need to use the lake? Why cant you waterski or jetski in the ocean? It is a very small lake. I have personally had both jetskis and waterskiers jump my kayak when I was paddling out there. I havent been on that lake in years just because of this issue. Too many idiots with throttles.
Suggestions -
I'm not sure closing the lake is necessary, but clearly it IS appropriate to take another look at the rules and safety features of use of the lake. It's been clear to everyone driving by for several years that the use of the lake has been an accident waiting to happen.
Ideas - yes, ocean use is best - jetskis also need to follow the 'rules of the road' there with respect to other boats, and I expect there would be PFD and safety equipment regs?
Licensing - I love the licensing idea. Cover rules for ocean and Auke Lake use. Things you can't do - like tow an innertube. etc.
Limited use - I can go online and rent a local cabin, or get a burn permit. Have CBJ create a webpage allowing only X number of "day permits" for the lake - one boat, two jetskis, or whatever. Kids can 'apply' online - a simple counter limits the number of permits for the day, they print the permit and post in their car window or on a board at the ramp. Done.
Rules print right on the permit - just like they do for a burn permit. This would be EASY to do, and make enforcement much simpler as well.
Bouyed swimming areas: UAS dock, near the mouth of the small pond, from the right side of the launch ramp across past where the planes used to dock. Put em up in the spring, take em down in the fall. Parks and Rec could do this.
Signage - explaining the rules. And fines for not following them.
These simple things would be EASY to put in place, and would make the whole thing a lot safer.
Replacing common sense...
Now, I do agree that we should not replace common sense. Now, using the 'common sense' rule, let us look at the situation. We have a lake that is 1/4 of one square mile in size. Jet skis can travel in excess of 50 mph, or in other words, .83 miles per minute. If this is true, it would take a jet ski approximately 20 seconds to cross the lake. Of course this estimate is based on the jet ski beginning travel at 50 mph without considering the time it takes to accelerate, which isn't that long on a jet ski. Now, speed boats might take a bit longer but can also reach these speeds. If you don't agree with my formula, we can just say it takes these vehicles a minute-and-a-half to cross the lake. Still, this still does not give enough time to dodge around other high velocity watercraft and swimmers.
Common sense. A lake taking up 1/4 of one square mile allowing vehicles that can take as little as seconds to cross from one side to the other, with people possibly swimming, combined with sunlight reflecting in the water, shadows or cloud cover helping to camoflage heads popping out of the water would make it virtually impossible to avoid hitting people taking a casual dip in the lake.
So what does common sense say?
What we need to fix this...
...is a giant bronze statue of a jet ski!
Or much much much less snarkily, a lifesize statue of the tragically young girl. Put it near the ramp.
People forget that accidents do happen. Maybe a statue of a young girl who looks just like you might actually help remind people that it can happen to you.
Accident
Here's a great idea: add a super accesible launch ramp to a centrally located lake but not any Juneau PD or troopers law enforcement and see what happens. Then, when someone dies sit back and watch the people against motorized use in that lake in the first place yell about how this was bound to happen and blah blah blah. Kids will be kids, that's why we have law enforcement, especially in this town where the kids have access to mommy and daddy's super powerful, super fast, giant sit-down jetskis yet barely have their driver's license and are not in any way instructed or supervised in the safe and appropriate operating skills necessary for a pleasure craft in a small, leisure lake. Responsible boat and jetskiers have been using Auke lake for many years, I have been among them as a swimmer, floater, and jetski rider, not until the day of this tragic accident had I ever seen an officer or trooper out there, not once, rain or shine, after five on a work day or on the sunniest day(s) of the year; never. This accident was just that, an accident, stupid kids playing with things they don't understand, without supervision, but still an accident. This accident is not cause to shut down motorized use of the lake, for kids will be kids and much better for this accident to have occurred on a lake in town than on the ocean far from shore. When water is involved rules need to be in place and enforced. If this means I can't float on my floaty with a beer when I'm done riding for the day then so be it, but don't holler about how swimmers and small motorized pleasure crafts can't co-exist, not in this state, not when so many other places in the country handle it. There are some great suggestions out there, shutting down the lake to motorized use is not one of them, the ocean is salty and unpleasant to swim in here, Auke lake is warm and fresh and is a perfect place for people to enjoy the rain or shine with their toys, motorized or not.
So if anyone gets hurt at Eaglecrest?
Using the logic displayed by some, the CBJ should shut down Eaglecrest if anyone dies while recreating there. From a risk management perspective the CBJ has far greater liabilities if anyone gets hurt or dies at Eaglecrest, since it owns and operates it.
This is not the time for knee jerk reactions and opportunists with other agenda's.
Only the callus minded would ,,,
try to bring thier political B.S. to a meeting the evening a young girl died.
The environmentilist would have everyone off the planet, except them of course.
The hiker thinks they are the only one that should use trails.
The cross country skier thinks all snowmobiles are evil.
and so on and so on.
It's all B.S. and could have waited until the next meeting.
You selfish arrogant people should take a sec and think of more than yourselves.
I say drain the lake along with twin lakes and the other fresh water lakes and expand Mount Sarah Palin.
And kapasaw a jetski and skier jumped your kayak. I call BS.
as for the "why not the ocean" for all those we dont want on the lake. I agree, if youd take your canoes, kayaks, etc to the ocean as you demand others do there'd be lots more room to enjoy.
The property owners remind me of those that buy land at the end of the airport and then demand the airport be moved.
Juneau, you deserve each other.
all lovely ideas Swimmergirl......
but the only problem with all those ideas is if they were implimented it is a well known fact that there is little to no JPD enforcement around to make sure the rules would be followed. So what would be the point of a bunch of silly new rules and regs if everyone knew noone is paying attention, no tickets or fines would be handed out? Recreation out of control on a small lake with too much potential for accidents is a really bad idea.
This "accident" was preventable in my opinion. Witnesses stated "He was weaving all over that lake with blatant disregard to the rules." Is he going to be held accountable for this preventable accident? I should hope so. We have a big huge ocean out there, it takes very little time to get your car and boat trailer out to most any boat launch in town or out the road for that matter. Jetski out in the ocean to your hearts content, and I'll say it again.... Make Auke Lake a no wake lake.
Perfect storm
Last Saturday was a perfect storm for an accident on the lake, out the road, or anywhere. The hot weather was predicted, it was actually hot, and it landed on a Saturday. Lets not have a knee jerk reaction here and start shutting everything down. Boating accidents happen all over the country and its human error, not the machines. You can blame the jetskis and float plane but they didn't cause it, human error here and that's hard to fix.
No More Fun in Juneau
First and foremost, my condolences to the family for their loss.
So, when there is a vehicle fatality on the highway, do we ban cars from the streets? When someone drowns, do we say no one can swim anymore?
Auke Lake is one of the last areas where people can still enjoy what little there is to do with recreational equipment. With most any recreational activity, there are inherent risks. CBJ appears to have regulated many fun activities from occurring already.
As for outlawing the float plane from operating on the lake, I think that is ludicrous. Float planes have been using the lake for a long time.
Please do not over regulate people’s freedom. Yours may be next……
Sleg, whatever. You know
Sleg, whatever. You know all.
Take the kayaks and canoes elsewhere? We already have to avoid a bunch of throttle happy inconsiderates. They can coexist. I've seen it. Jetskis would slow down in the presence of kayakers, wave, say hello, chit chat, etc then cruise on. (obviously not in Juneau).
Brad, take your eaglecrest example, have the xcountry skiiers crossing the down hill runs at regular intervals, and have the snowmachiners roaring all over the ski runs as well. Then you are comparing apples to apples.
I agree that the float planes should continue to use the lake. They have for years and have had no issues. The rise of the jetski has been fairly recent. The water skiiers have used it for a while and 98% were considerate. All except the one time a bunch were drinking and thought it would be fun to try and jump a kayak.
Its just too small of a lake.
Life is dangerous - often when you're enjoying it most
She was living and enjoying life, it was a tragic accident, you can't protect everybody all of the time.
Sorry - I assumed
enforcement of any 'rules'. Of course I would expect JPD or parks and rec to check that permits for limited use were being observed, swimming bouys were in place. If there were a license for jetski use, yes, of course, enforcement of the rules of that license is part of the deal, just like enforcement of the rules on the road.