Fremont Police Warn Against Swimming Niles Creek

Fremont police used the days before Memorial Day weekend to issue a blunt public warning about Niles Creek: stay out of the water and away from the area. The department said swimming and gathering there are both illegal and unsafe, and said officers would patrol the site during the holiday weekend. The warning came as temperatures rose across the Bay Area and residents looked for places to cool off. Police pointed people instead to pools and designated swimming areas in Fremont and nearby parks. ### What exactly did Fremont police tell people not to do? The Fremont Police Department said residents and visitors should not swim in Niles Creek and should not use the area for holiday gatherings. The warning was highlighted in local coverage on May 22 ahead of the Memorial Day weekend, which runs through Monday, May 25. Police said the area is both illegal to enter and dangerous to use for recreation. Secondary reports of the advisory said officers would be in the area over the weekend and that people found in the creek or on surrounding land could face trespassing enforcement, while illegally parked vehicles could be cited or towed. (patch.com) ### Why are officials focusing on Niles Creek before this holiday weekend? Memorial Day weekend regularly brings larger crowds to outdoor spots across Fremont, including the Niles district and the Alameda Creek corridor. Fremont police’s own calendar shows the department lobby closed for the city-observed holiday on May 25, underscoring that the warning was tied to the long weekend. (newsbreak.com) Patch reported that police framed the message as a seasonal safety alert for people looking for relief from warm weather. The department’s warning stressed that the creek can look calm from the bank while still posing serious risks in the water. ### What dangers did police say are in the creek? Police said the hazard is not limited to swimming ability. The warning cited strong currents, cold water and underwater obstacles as reasons people can get into trouble quickly in the creek, according to local and syndicated reports of the advisory. (fremontpolice.gov) (patch.com) Those risks are consistent with previous fatal incidents in the area. KTVU reported that a 26-year-old man drowned in a Fremont creek in the Niles district in 2023 after witnesses saw him struggling in the water near Third and I streets. ### Have there been drownings in or near the Niles area before? A 2024 drowning in Alameda Creek along Niles Canyon Road put renewed attention on waterways in the area. (msn.com) Pleasanton Weekly reported that an 11-year-old girl died on Memorial Day after being swept away in Alameda Creek in the Niles Canyon area. (ktvu.com) Historical reporting also shows fatalities in Niles Creek itself. SFGATE reported that a 17-year-old girl drowned there in 1998 after being caught in an undertow while wading with friends. Police did not release a new count of deaths in the creek in the material surfaced Saturday, but Patch and MSN reports of the advisory said the department warned that multiple people had died there over the years. (pleasantonweekly.com) ### Where are safer places to swim nearby? East Bay Regional Park District lists Niles Beach at Quarry Lakes Regional Recreation Area as a designated swim complex with a sandy beach, bathhouse and lifeguard service. (sfgate.com) The district says the site is open year round and posts water-safety guidance for visitors. Quarry Lakes is one of the alternatives highlighted in local Fremont coverage this weekend. (msn.com) Alameda County Water District says the recreation area is jointly administered with the park district and includes managed water activities such as swimming, boating and fishing. ### What happens next over the holiday weekend? Fremont police said enforcement in the Niles Creek area will continue through the Memorial Day weekend. (ebparks.org) The department directs residents to its alert and social media channels for updates, including Nixle text and email notifications and its official social accounts. Monday, May 25, is the city-observed holiday listed on the Fremont Police Department calendar. (acwd.org) People looking for legal swim access can check East Bay Regional Park District information for Niles Beach at Quarry Lakes before heading out. (fremontpolice.gov) (fremontpolice.gov)