IMPROVEMENTS/SIGNS IMPLEMENTED AT FOLSOM LAKE SRA BECAUSE OF TRAGIC ACCIDENT - DEDICATION TO KATIE HOEDT ON OCT. 5, 2024
In 2023, while officials from FLSRA told the media that they remove rope swings as they see them, Katie Hoedt's parents told them that they hope their daughter's death will ignite the need for signs warning of the danger. Had those been implemented before, "she would have never gotten on that rope swing," her mother Beth said.
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This note came from Andy Hoedt and the Hoedt family:
"It may be worth noting since her accident, we have worked with State Assemblyman McCarty and Parks (Chief Barry Smith as well as his manager, Mike), to develop the signs we spoke about originally. The temporary signs went up before Memorial Day this year, and I continue to push for permanent metal signs for next year (they stated they are working on that). The signs (A-frames) were set up at all entries and at boat ramps. I continue to speak with Boats and Waterways as well, to implement something similar at appropriate areas along the river. From there, I hope to push Parks for other locations across the state.
On Oct. 5th, '24 we are dedicating a picnic table and a bench at Beals Point with inscriptions on them. Friends, Family, TV, and Chief Smith will be there.
Thank you,
Andy Hoedt
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Previous post from 8/18/2023:
DEATH AT RATTLESNAKE BAR
23-year-old California TV producer dies falling 30 feet from banned rope swing -
See letter calling for action below article.
AUGUST 17, 2023 / 10:22 AM / CBS NEWS (photo credit: KCRA-TV)
A young California news producer suddenly died over the weekend after an incident involving a banned rope swing, her employer, NBC affiliate KCRA-TV said. Morning producer Katie Hoedt, 23, died after falling from a rope swing at Folsom Lake on Saturday, the station said, citing California State Parks officials. Barry Smith, chief ranger of the Gold Fields District of California State Parks, told the station that Hoedt fell roughly 30 feet from the swing and landed on rocks near the water.
Rope swings are not allowed in the area Hoedt was at, he said, as it can be "extremely dangerous."
"You don't know who put the rope swing up. You don't know how strong that is," he said. "...Anything can give out." Following her fall, the Sacramento Bee reported that Hoedt's friends took her to a nearby boat ramp, at which point an off-duty doctor gave her CPR. When emergency responders arrived, she was taken to the hospital, where she died.
KCRA anchor Brittany Hope wrote on Facebook that Hoedt was one of the station's youngest employees, "a shooting star with knowledge and accomplishments far beyond her years."
"I will miss her giggle in the newsroom, and sweet voice in our ears during newscasts and live shots," Hope said. "...She never had a 'bad day' – and even if she did, she wouldn't let you know about it. Instead, she always brought brightness and positivity to everyone around her. Nothing can dim her shine."
While officials told KCRA that they remove rope swings as they see them, Hoedt's parents told the station that they hope their daughter's death will ignite the need for signs warning of the danger. Had those been implemented before, "she would have never gotten on that rope swing," her mother Beth said. (See letter below this article.)
"We don't want this to happen to anyone else, ever, and that's important to us," her father Andy said.
CLICK HERE to see the original article at KCRA-TV
===============================================
Letter to KCRA-TV on the death of Katie Hoedt :
My name is Leslie Bisharat and I’m a long-time volunteer with CA State Parks in Granite Bay. I am very saddened about the death of Ms. Hoedt at a beautiful park where I have had so many wonderful experiences. Unfortunately, her tragic death is a prime example of how State Parks has ignored threats to the safety of Folsom Lake SRA users. It has been of secondary (or worse) concern to the administrators at the Gold Fields State Park office. The lack of communication, oversight and prevention allowed the fatal and tragic death of Ms. Hoedt to occur. With confidence I can say that Parks does not inspect shorelines for hazards on a weekly basis—or even a monthly basis and I doubt they could provide evidence that they do. For years now, as park use has increased exponentially, the people we hire to ensure user safety and preservation of natural resources have focused on dangerous driving and bad behavior and have ignored almost everything else.
Once a park user leaves pavement and enters the trail system, they will almost never see park rangers. I’ve been using the trails at Folsom SRA for almost 50 years and only once have I encountered a ranger on a trail (and that was in Granite Bay, the most heavily-used area). As for rangers in boats, they are a rare sight and their attention is not on shoreline hazards, rather on boating infractions.
I’m a boater, frequent hiker and horseback rider on the trails from Lake Natoma to Auburn. State Parks has made recent changes to allow bikes on no-bike trails. The recent changes allow e-bikes that jeopardize safety for equestrians and hikers alike due to speed of travel. This change in use (CIU) is representative of Parks’ yielding to the steady pressure from the e-bike and mountain bike industry. Parks refuses to build separate trails for wheeled travel, which would avoid trail conflict with hikers and equestrians. State Parks has the notion that all users will follow rules and, somehow, will co-exist without conflict no matter the number or speed of travel.
The reason for this email is to point out CA State Parks’ lack of concern for the safety of all park visitors. Proper signage, maintenance and supervision could have prevented Ms. Hoedt’s death. She isn’t the first victim of bureaucratic negligence and, unfortunately, she won’t be the last. As someone who can investigate and shed light on the continual negligence regarding safety, I urge you to pursue this issue. State Parks, at least at Folsom Lake, will not change their view until they are compelled to examine policies and priorities due to bad publicity. Ms. Hoedt’s tragic accident can result in the saving of other people’s lives but it takes someone to shed light on this issue. I hope you’re willing to be that someone.
I appreciate your attention.
Regards,
Leslie Bisharat
Granite Bay, CA
CC: Mike Finta, Ace 4 Safe Trails, a local non-profit that has recently filed suit against State Parks over trail safety.
To see article about that lawsuit, CLICK HERE.
In 2023, while officials from FLSRA told the media that they remove rope swings as they see them, Katie Hoedt's parents told them that they hope their daughter's death will ignite the need for signs warning of the danger. Had those been implemented before, "she would have never gotten on that rope swing," her mother Beth said.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
This note came from Andy Hoedt and the Hoedt family:
"It may be worth noting since her accident, we have worked with State Assemblyman McCarty and Parks (Chief Barry Smith as well as his manager, Mike), to develop the signs we spoke about originally. The temporary signs went up before Memorial Day this year, and I continue to push for permanent metal signs for next year (they stated they are working on that). The signs (A-frames) were set up at all entries and at boat ramps. I continue to speak with Boats and Waterways as well, to implement something similar at appropriate areas along the river. From there, I hope to push Parks for other locations across the state.
On Oct. 5th, '24 we are dedicating a picnic table and a bench at Beals Point with inscriptions on them. Friends, Family, TV, and Chief Smith will be there.
Thank you,
Andy Hoedt
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Previous post from 8/18/2023:
DEATH AT RATTLESNAKE BAR
23-year-old California TV producer dies falling 30 feet from banned rope swing -
See letter calling for action below article.
AUGUST 17, 2023 / 10:22 AM / CBS NEWS (photo credit: KCRA-TV)
A young California news producer suddenly died over the weekend after an incident involving a banned rope swing, her employer, NBC affiliate KCRA-TV said. Morning producer Katie Hoedt, 23, died after falling from a rope swing at Folsom Lake on Saturday, the station said, citing California State Parks officials. Barry Smith, chief ranger of the Gold Fields District of California State Parks, told the station that Hoedt fell roughly 30 feet from the swing and landed on rocks near the water.
Rope swings are not allowed in the area Hoedt was at, he said, as it can be "extremely dangerous."
"You don't know who put the rope swing up. You don't know how strong that is," he said. "...Anything can give out." Following her fall, the Sacramento Bee reported that Hoedt's friends took her to a nearby boat ramp, at which point an off-duty doctor gave her CPR. When emergency responders arrived, she was taken to the hospital, where she died.
KCRA anchor Brittany Hope wrote on Facebook that Hoedt was one of the station's youngest employees, "a shooting star with knowledge and accomplishments far beyond her years."
"I will miss her giggle in the newsroom, and sweet voice in our ears during newscasts and live shots," Hope said. "...She never had a 'bad day' – and even if she did, she wouldn't let you know about it. Instead, she always brought brightness and positivity to everyone around her. Nothing can dim her shine."
While officials told KCRA that they remove rope swings as they see them, Hoedt's parents told the station that they hope their daughter's death will ignite the need for signs warning of the danger. Had those been implemented before, "she would have never gotten on that rope swing," her mother Beth said. (See letter below this article.)
"We don't want this to happen to anyone else, ever, and that's important to us," her father Andy said.
CLICK HERE to see the original article at KCRA-TV
===============================================
Letter to KCRA-TV on the death of Katie Hoedt :
My name is Leslie Bisharat and I’m a long-time volunteer with CA State Parks in Granite Bay. I am very saddened about the death of Ms. Hoedt at a beautiful park where I have had so many wonderful experiences. Unfortunately, her tragic death is a prime example of how State Parks has ignored threats to the safety of Folsom Lake SRA users. It has been of secondary (or worse) concern to the administrators at the Gold Fields State Park office. The lack of communication, oversight and prevention allowed the fatal and tragic death of Ms. Hoedt to occur. With confidence I can say that Parks does not inspect shorelines for hazards on a weekly basis—or even a monthly basis and I doubt they could provide evidence that they do. For years now, as park use has increased exponentially, the people we hire to ensure user safety and preservation of natural resources have focused on dangerous driving and bad behavior and have ignored almost everything else.
Once a park user leaves pavement and enters the trail system, they will almost never see park rangers. I’ve been using the trails at Folsom SRA for almost 50 years and only once have I encountered a ranger on a trail (and that was in Granite Bay, the most heavily-used area). As for rangers in boats, they are a rare sight and their attention is not on shoreline hazards, rather on boating infractions.
I’m a boater, frequent hiker and horseback rider on the trails from Lake Natoma to Auburn. State Parks has made recent changes to allow bikes on no-bike trails. The recent changes allow e-bikes that jeopardize safety for equestrians and hikers alike due to speed of travel. This change in use (CIU) is representative of Parks’ yielding to the steady pressure from the e-bike and mountain bike industry. Parks refuses to build separate trails for wheeled travel, which would avoid trail conflict with hikers and equestrians. State Parks has the notion that all users will follow rules and, somehow, will co-exist without conflict no matter the number or speed of travel.
The reason for this email is to point out CA State Parks’ lack of concern for the safety of all park visitors. Proper signage, maintenance and supervision could have prevented Ms. Hoedt’s death. She isn’t the first victim of bureaucratic negligence and, unfortunately, she won’t be the last. As someone who can investigate and shed light on the continual negligence regarding safety, I urge you to pursue this issue. State Parks, at least at Folsom Lake, will not change their view until they are compelled to examine policies and priorities due to bad publicity. Ms. Hoedt’s tragic accident can result in the saving of other people’s lives but it takes someone to shed light on this issue. I hope you’re willing to be that someone.
I appreciate your attention.
Regards,
Leslie Bisharat
Granite Bay, CA
CC: Mike Finta, Ace 4 Safe Trails, a local non-profit that has recently filed suit against State Parks over trail safety.
To see article about that lawsuit, CLICK HERE.
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