There is a rock dam along the Trinity River in Fort Worth that has been the site of three drownings in less than three years, including the death of a woman earlier this month.
The dam was where a 7-year-old boy and his father were rescued Saturday from what some have called a "deceptively dangerous" section of the Trinity River. The boy fell into the river and his father struggled to reach the shore from after jumping in after the child, according to a release from the Fort Worth fire department.
The dam has a section scooped out of its middle to allow kayakers to continue in with their journeys down the river. But it has made for a tempting leaping spot for children, and some adults over the years.
It is a story Kirk Montgomery knows all too well.
Montgomery, 50, saved a woman's life there in 2010. He happned to see a woman who had slipped and fallen in. Former Fort Worth Mayor Mike Moncrief issued a proclamation recognizing Montgomery for his actions.
"I was flattered being called a hero [by the Mayor]," Montgomery said. "But heroes aren't trying to be heroes. All they're doing is the right thing."
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Montgomery told NBC 5 the "right" thing to do is to install more and better signage at the Trinity Park in an effort to warn people about the dangers of walking on the dam.
There are currently four signs that suggest the danger of walking across the sam. Two read "Safety First" and are posted on either hillside leading down to the water. Another two are stamped onto the rocks that indicate "Do Not Walk" in a style similar to a crosswalk.
"A do not walk sign is not a danger sign. You see do not walk signs everywhere. So a child doesn't see danger in a do not walk sign," Montgomery said.
Chad Lorance, a spokesperson for the Tarrant Regional Water District told NBC 5 that his agency is considering adding more warning signs near the river, and perhaps making the wording on the signs more specific to the danger of crossing the dam.
But something like installing a fence is out of the question, Lorance said. A fence could impede flood debris in the event of high water, Lorance said.
