State Game Warden Thomas Hamblin looks out from his patrol boat at Lake Mead Thursday, May 27, 2021. Game wardens are classified as peace officers and can enforce all state laws, he said.
Friday, May 28, 2021 | 2 a.m.
A tepid breeze splashes Thomas Hamblin’s face as his boat slices through Lake Mead waters this sunny afternoon, its twin-engines humming louder with forward bursts.
It’s where Hamblin, a game warden with the Nevada Department of Wildlife loves to be, patrolling the lake and ready to spot intoxicated boat operators, reckless jet ski riders, swimmers — particularly children, with no life jackets — and any other issue that may arise.
“It’s not a bad day to come out here,” he said. “My ‘bad day’ is 91 degrees and I’m out on the lake. It’s not a bad for a Thursday, right?”
But he’s also experienced some horrifying days, responding to tragedies, such as drownings, which more than likely could have been averted had the visitors followed simple precautions.
In some, it’s a “domino effect” of bad decisions; people not taking precautions seriously, he said.
During his three-year tenure with the department, Hamblin has responded to eight drownings, including that of a 6-year-old girl who died earlier this year.
Asked what goes through his mind during the instances, be it a child or an adult, Hamblin said: “It’s sad. It’s terrible, especially when you know it’s preventable.”
These incidents, Hamblin said, have made him recognize his “own mortality.”
There was also a time when a child with a life jacket was trapped underneath a boat for more than half an hour, but ultimately saved by a pocket of fresh air. Hamblin and his colleagues thought she surely died, but she didn’t suffer even a scratch, he said.
The Lake Mead National Recreation Area is preparing for an onslaught of visitors this Memorial Day weekend, which will perhaps be busier than past long weekends, with outdoors people shaking off pandemic-related isolation blues.
It means more boats, more swimmers, and more chances for injury or death.
Things already looked busy at Boulder Beach Thursday, Hamblin noted as he slowed his boat to a halt in narrow waters. He described the anxious, but exciting moment when he drives down the hill to the lake and he sees water brimming with boats.
Hamblin has loved the outdoors since his hunting and fishing days in Oregon with his father. His law enforcement epiphany came at the age of 12, when while duck hunting, they stumbled upon shot up ducks littered on bushes. Why would someone do that, he wondered, telling his father, “something should be done about that.”
Hamblin, a Las Vegas resident, studied wildlife biology and ecology at UNR, but realized being a warden offered more on-the-field experiences.
The job has taken him across the state, patrolling fishing and hunting locales. He patrols the waters during boating season, which begins in early April and runs into October.
“Wherever there is people out recreating, that’s where we need to be,” he said about the wardens’ workload.
Hamblin said he’s seen it all, from drunk fights, to domestic violence incidents, and “even some of the stuff you can’t imagine.”
Water safety tips
Wear a life jacket, because “they float. You don’t.”
Do not mix alcohol and boating.
Observe nautical rules.
Do not stand in a small boat.
Check the weather forecast before arriving.
Make sure the boat isn’t overloaded.
“Keep a good lookout.”
Chad Taylor, director of sales and marketing for Lake Mead Mohave Adventures, a national park concession specialist that manages rents watercrafts — from paddle boards to boat houses — at seven out of the nine locals at the national park, said the company is busy and “expecting an extremely busy Memorial Day Weekend” and summer.
He reminded boaters to bring sunscreen, water, and life jackets, and make sure there’s “good weather” beforehand.
“If there’s any serious windstorms,” he said, “be cautious of that.”
To operate one of their boats, visitors must have a boaters permit from one of the 50 states, and take additional safety classes and orientation offered by the company.
For a safe and fun experience, he recommended a “buddy system” between boaters, and to not drink if you’re operating a boat. And life jackets are a must, he added.
Taylor said he was raised on the lake, going on 40 years.
“This is one of the most enjoyable places you could be,” he said. “Choosing your ability to have the distance from whomever you like, however you like, and enjoying what nature has to offer.”
“So,” he added, “between family, and coming out, and having some tubes or having a boat and just hitting the beach, renting some kayaks, or doing some hiking or some biking on the trails, there’s a lot of stuff you can do out here that’s just great to get out with the family. Period.”
