Deputy keeps waterways safe

Mike Bradwell is a quiet presence on the Sacramento River.

Regulars on the river know him well and can easily recognize the deputy's Jetcraft speed boat with the Colusa County sheriff's logo emblazed on the side.

Boaters new to the area give him a polite wave before checking their speed and moving on.

On summer weekends, the 26-year-old boat patrol officer divides his time between East Park Reservoir and the Sacramento River — clocking long hours spent casting cautious eyes toward small children playing at the water's edge or floaters gliding almost silently in the current.

"For me, it's about safety," Bradwell said. "I want people to come out and have a good time, but I want them to be safe."

Colusa County's extensive shorelines, inland waterways and canals present a unique challenge for law enforcement and emergency rescue operations.

Small budgets — and more people sticking closer to home during tough economic times — means the responsibility for the safety of hundreds of people on the county's waterways falls almost entirely on Bradwell.

"It would be nice to have at least two deputies on duty at all times, but I'm usually by myself," Bradwell said. "That means making tough choices. Do I go to the river or do I go to the lake?"

Bradwell chose the lake on the day last summer when an Oakland teenager suddenly slipped beneath the surface of the water and disappeared.

Joey Saephan was only 50 feet from shore when he drowned Aug. 8, 2009, but Bradwell's presence at the scene within minutes of the incident provided some comfort to the family while they waited nearly five hours for an out-of-county dive team to recover the body.

"It was a tragic day," Bradwell said, "but I was glad I chose the lake."

Although drowning deaths in Colusa County are not a common occurrence, the incident was enough for the state to recognize the need of the county to have its own dive team — something of which Bradwell will soon be a part.

The equipment was purchased with a grant, and Bradwell and four others will undergo extensive training.

"It's a lengthy process," he said. "The underwater environment is a dangerous environment, more so in the river than the lake. Even after training, it could be a year before we are in the river."

Although holidays — Memorial Day, Independence Day and Labor Day — attract the most people to the county's waterways, Bradwell's work is year-round.

Most of the year he is on the boat, enforcing marine laws and ordinances, and providing a high-visibility patrol on county waterways where alcohol and fun is often mixed.

At other times, he's at schools and other venues offering boating and water safety information.

During the spring striper run, Bradwell is on the river four or five days a week helping state Fish and Game officials check fishing licenses and look for poachers.

In the fall, he has his eyes out for illegal marijuana operations above the shorelines.

Bradwell's small budget, about $117,000 a year, is primarily funded by the California Department of Boating and Waterways.

When he's not on the water, he's at the Sheriff's Office searching for grants to keep the small department afloat.

Grants, after all, have provided for the boats and most of the equipment, Bradwell said, and even a part-time deputy to be where he can't be this summer.

"It's nice having the extra help," he said. "It allows us to be on the lake and the river at the same time."

Having grown up on the river in Meridian, Bradwell couldn't have asked for a better assignment.

He loves the water and the people on it.

"If they need help, I give it," he said. "If they break the law, I cite them for it. I'm not a hardnose. I show people respect, and they respect me. I don't ask for anything more."

Contact Susan Meeker at 458-2121 or smeeker@tcnpress.com.