Deputies with the sheriff's Boating Safety Enforcement Unit were conducting an unrelated vessel stop near the Kaweah Recreational area on
Lake Kaweah.During the stop, deputies saw a man and a child, without
life jackets, swimming in deep water more than a 100 feet from shore.
The man, later identified as Tommy Hawkins, swam toward the patrol boat with an 11-year-old child, leaving four other children unattended,
deputies said. Deputies say Hawkins was "extremely" intoxicated and
"belligerent."
Because of the Hawkins' "level of intoxication," deputies said they felt he was unable to care for his safety or the safety of the children.
Hawkins was arrested on suspicion of child endangerment and booked
into Tulare County Pretrial Facility.The children were turned over to
Tulare County ChildWelfare Services, according to deputies. Deputies
sent out the following warning to visitors:
"Alcohol interferes with balance, coordination and judgment," deputies said. "These effects are heightened by sun exposure and heat.
Wear life jackets and watch your children around water. Remember life
jackets save lives. Alcohol and boating don’t mix."
This case is currently under investigation by the Tulare County Boating Safety Enforcement Unit.Detectives believe they gathered enough
evidence to hold the woman accountable for the incident. She is
suspected of being under the influence when she took her child into the
river, a popular summer hot spot that cuts through Visalia.
