Baltimore City Approves $51K For 11 Life Rings, 10 Ladders For Added Inner Harbor Protection
BALTIMORE (WJZ) — For years, many have called for change, as safety concerns at the Inner Harbor in downtown Baltimore have now become a top priority for the city.
Now, there is an initiative to ease those concerns.
$51,000 approved by the BOE for Marine Technologies will add 11 life rings and 10 ladders.
More than 50 bodies have been found in the Harbor since 2000, and over the last year, at least five bodies have been pulled from the Harbor- and officials say that's five too many.
"It's like being at a pool with no lifeguard," One Baltimore resident said.
Last February, Ryan Schroeder, a 26-year-old visiting from Vermont, fell in the Harbor and died. His family slammed the City for not having more safety features.
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Then, just weeks ago, divers recovered the body of 25-year-old Alexandra Carroll from the water, a Federal Hill resident and nurse.
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"When you have multiple deaths from people falling into the water, that cannot be acceptable," said Baltimore City Councilman Zeke Cohen.
Since August, the City has installed 16 ladders and 35 emergency life ring stations around the water, specifically in tourist areas.
Baltimore's Department of Transportation is doubling down and will now spend another $51,000 to install even more safety equipment in phase two of its project.
"Our goal is to reduce these types of incidents as much as we can," said Muhammed Khalid, chief engineer.
It's an effort to curb what has become a dire situation in the heart of Charm City, which fields millions of tourists every year.
"There should be railings, def. You have kids coming through here all the time," another Baltimore resident said.
There will soon be more than 25 ladders and close to 50 life rings surrounding the Inner Harbor.
Officials said they are heavily focused on getting this taken care of, they said whatever needs to be done to improve the safety of the area, they're fully committed to.
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