Interesting, if unsurprising, news from Halle Parker and John Boyer in today’s Times-Dispatch. There were two river rescues on the James yesterday, Richmond Fire and EMS told the T-D. In one a “man said he was going for a run on the Pipeline Trail on the north bank of the river near the Mayo Bridge when he was stranded…He noticed that the water was high but continued to run until he was overtaken.”

Click here to read Parker and Boyer’s account of that rescue and the other.

It’s probably a fool’s errand to tell people to be careful on the river, especially on a holiday weekend when alcohol often impairs people’s decision making. But it it helps, here’s the graph of what the river looks like right now (Saturday morning at 8 a.m.-ish).

The river is cresting currently (14.26 feet at the Westham Gauge near Huguenot Bridge), and it’s cresting higher than it did three weeks ago, which was the highest level the James had reached in Richmond in about 3 years. It’s also over two feet above flood stage.

So, go out and check out the surging James River this weekend — it’s putting on an amazing show — but try to do it safely!