The numbers speak for themselves. Last year, the QC had four people die on the river; this year the number of people dead is double that. Sunday the QC saw its ninth death on the river.
We've spoken to the DNR and police over and over again about what people can do to keep themselves safe on the water, but two families have a message for those getting out here this summer, and every summer from now on.
"We had that knock on our door at 2:30 in the morning that no parent ever wants to get," John Boyd, father of Jacob Boyd says, "We thought that was the worst that could ever be, but we were wrong because we found out after a day and half of still waiting to see if they were going to recover him.. that was the worst."
This is the first time John Boyd and his wife Diane have come back to the river where they lost their 22-year old son Jacob in a boating accident in Burlington just over a month ago.
"We're just trying to do the normal things a person does everyday," he says, "Get up, shower, go to work, eat. I don't have a plan past the end of the day."
The youngest of five, Jacob was working in his hometown of Burlington and just figuring it all out when tragedy struck.
"It's hard, there's no getting around it, we can't go a day without missing him, we don't go a day without wishing he was here," Boyd says.
Nearby, Louise Butherus and her family are mourning the loss of her son, Matthew House. Matthew would've turned 22 this week.
"He was a wonderful kid," she says, "He loved his family, loved his friends, very kind but brave."
"I got a call at about 2 am," she says of that night, "I tried phoning him back and didn't get through. It was the worst, you don't know what to do."
Matt's mom tells us he was into sports, especially golf and loved being on the river.
"It's a surprise to me people haven't recognized this as more serious," she says, "Of course I know it's serious, it was my son, and I certainly would never have thought anything like this would've ever happened."
"Just be safe, don't take it for granted," Boyd adds, "Hold them close, treasure every moment, save every card."
Though their sons are gone, these families aren't blaming the river for their loss.
"No I don't want this to tarnish it for them, we don't feel like the river took Jacob," Boyd says, "It was just bad decisions, and that's what actually took him away from us."
"I know he loves it, or he loved it, and wherever he's been, whatever he's seen, whatever he's heard, I want to feel it too," Butherus says of her son.
Eight others survived that boating accident. Parents we spoke to today say most are doing fine physically, but are still struggling with what happened.
One of the survivors will need to go to rehab for the injuries sustained in that accident, and the community of Burlington has pulled together to raise funds for that.
The fund raiser will be July 29th from 11 AM to 8 PM at the 40 & 8 Park behind Bee's Ballpark. Friends and family will be selling t-shirts to raise money to help. There will also be live bands and a cover charge.
