Videos: Officials Encourage Safe, Smart Thinking on Cuyahoga

If you ever find yourself being swept away by a raging Cuyahoga River, safety officials say the best thing to do is to lift your legs and float in a seated position looking downstream.

That was just one of the many important messages members of the and Portage County Water Rescue Team shared this afternoon at a water rescue demonstration at .

So far this year, the city has had four separate incidents where the river caught someone by surprise and they needed rescue from the raging water.

In the most recent incident, Kent Police Officer James Ennemoser after the current swept him downstream from Tannery Park. Just hours earlier, out of the river near the Crain Avenue Bridge.

In May, Kent State student after she fell in at .

And in March, members of after students on a school bus reported seeing someone fall into the rushing water.

As a result, the city is considering a number of options to improve awareness for the public and responsiveness for police and fire personnel.

Signs are expected to go up at Kent's river parks advising visitors of the river's potential hazards. The city recently bought swift-water suits for its members of the water rescue team so they aren't forced to rely on their dive suits for river rescues and searches. And additional safety equipment, such as throw bags, may be added to police cruisers.

For now, Kent's safety officials are reminding residents and water enthusiasts to be safe when having fun on the river.