More than 119,000 people are reported to have spent New Year¿s weekend in the Imperial Sand Dunes Recreation Area. (FERNANDO ACOSTA JR. FILE PHOTO) |
More than 119,000 people flocked to the Imperial Sand Dunes Recreation Area during the New Year’s holiday weekend. No fatalities were reported, although public safety personnel responded to 55 requests for medical aid, an official said.
The number of sand dunes visitors was about the same as the previous New Year’s holiday weekend, said Michelle Puckett, public information officer for the Bureau of Land Management El Centro field office.
Law enforcement personnel also made 23 arrests by the end of the holiday weekend, Puckett said. Four of those arrests were related to driving under the influence.
The 55 requests for medical aid included four that resulted in evacuation by air. The number of requests for medical aid was up from the previous year’s 48, Puckett said.
“We just want to remind people to know the laws before they come and make it a happy trip for everyone,” Puckett said.
No new rules or regulations are set to be implemented for the area’s sand dunes this year, Puckett said. Current rules and regulations can be found on the Web site www.blm.gov/ca/isdra.
The next date that is expected to draw a comparable crowd is President’s Day weekend, Feb. 18-20, although more than 1,000 people are expected to take part in the annual dunes cleanup that is scheduled for Jan. 14 during the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday weekend.
The number of sand dunes visitors was about the same as the previous New Year’s holiday weekend, said Michelle Puckett, public information officer for the Bureau of Land Management El Centro field office.
Law enforcement personnel also made 23 arrests by the end of the holiday weekend, Puckett said. Four of those arrests were related to driving under the influence.
The 55 requests for medical aid included four that resulted in evacuation by air. The number of requests for medical aid was up from the previous year’s 48, Puckett said.
“We just want to remind people to know the laws before they come and make it a happy trip for everyone,” Puckett said.
No new rules or regulations are set to be implemented for the area’s sand dunes this year, Puckett said. Current rules and regulations can be found on the Web site www.blm.gov/ca/isdra.
The next date that is expected to draw a comparable crowd is President’s Day weekend, Feb. 18-20, although more than 1,000 people are expected to take part in the annual dunes cleanup that is scheduled for Jan. 14 during the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday weekend.
