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Resident urges council to install guardrails on Salisbury Riverwalk after fatality
Summary
A city employee recalled witnessing a drowning on the riverwalk and urged the council to install guardrails or other physical barriers along the riverwalk, citing drowning-prevention guidance and asking for a clear timeline and transparent updates.
Laura Toner, who identified herself as a city employee, urged the council to install guardrails or other effective physical barriers along a stretch of the Riverwalk where, she said, a community member drowned three years ago.
"Today, there is still no fence, no guardrail, and no meaningful physical barrier along that stretch of riverfront," Toner said, adding that the National Drowning Prevention Alliance recommends multiple layers of protection and that a guardrail can prevent entry to water about 83% of the time. She asked the council to pursue grants, partnerships or other funding options and to commit to a timeline and transparent updates to the public.
Joe Schofino, a resident who followed Toner's remarks, said he had previously distributed photographs showing railings at the Riverwalk and asked whether the city's insurer had been consulted about the hazard and past removals. The comment prompted council acknowledgement and a request for follow-up from administration.
The council did not take formal action on the item during this meeting; administration and councilmembers acknowledged the concern and indicated it would be referred for follow-up and potential study.
