SAN ANTONIO – The San Antonio River Walk is expected to be a popular destination over the next several days.
On Tuesday, the city will host Texas Christian University and the No. 16 University of Southern California in the 33rd annual Valero Alamo Bowl, followed by the annual New Year’s Eve party on Wednesday night.
With so many visitors expected, are they worried about safety?
It is a question that was asked after a man’s body was recovered in the San Antonio River on Monday morning near Pearl. Locals and visitors told KSAT the discovery was concerning, but they still feel safe.
“I was surprised. I normally don’t feel like I’m in danger, especially around here,” San Antonio resident Medeli Sandoval said.
Brook Dowdy from Nashville, Tennessee, said Monday’s discovery is unfortunately common nowadays.
“I’m from Nashville, so we have Broadway accidents in the Cumberland River all the time,” Dowdy said. ”It’s usually a homeless person or somebody that’s overly intoxicated.”
The San Antonio Police Department said that, primarily, the discovery does not appear to involve foul play or criminal activity.
Visitors told KSAT that it is important for people to follow well-established safety measures.
“I pretty much always have my pepper spray on me at all times, and then I don’t ever walk at nighttime when it’s super dark by myself,” a woman, who wished to remain anonymous, told KSAT.
Isabella Castro said crime is not exclusive to the River Walk and that she is mindful of what she needs to do to be safe wherever she goes.
“It’s just kind of like the experience of being a woman,” Castro said. ”Like, you know, I do the same precautions everywhere I go.”
Some expressed concern that railings do not cover the entire edge of the River Walk, especially with large crowds and possible drinking during upcoming celebrations.
“In Nashville, we don’t have a railing either, and I mean, people do just you get too close you tip off,” Dowdy said. ”I mean, you know, you’re taking pictures if you don’t realize how quick.”
“I try not to walk on the edge just for that reason, I do think it is a concern,” Sandoval said.
San Antonio local Sophia Cabaza said all visitors, especially those walking along the River Walk near downtown proper, may want to be more vigilant about their surroundings because the pathways are narrower and it is more difficult for crowds to move.
“It’s worse, the further downtown you get, the narrower it gets,” Cabaza said.
Hudson Hooper, who is visiting the Alamo City from Fort Worth, said, “It would be super easy if you weren’t paying attention to make a wrong step and maybe get a little wet.”
Hooper, like others KSAT spoke with, said safety along the River Walk, as anywhere else, starts with individuals. He added that a law enforcement presence on the River Walk would help boost the sense of security.
“I think the police presence here on the River Walk is enough to be on the lookout for things like that,” Hooper said.
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