Spokane County Sheriff's deputies patrolling Spokane River

With a spike in drowning's on area lakes and rivers Spokane County Sheriff's deputies are on a mission to make sure you don't become a statistic.

In July alone five people have drowned, three of those on the Spokane River.

Friday night a man in his 50's was pulled from the Spokane River.

Witnesses said he was trying to swim across the river when he slipped below the surface. He was not wearing a life jacket.

Saturday afternoon marine deputies armed with binoculars patrolled the river from the shore wrote tickets to dozens of people not wearing a life jacket.

Between noon and 5 pm, deputies handed out 24 tickets. A ticket for not wearing a life jacket will cost you $76.

County ordinance requires anyone in moving water on the Spokane River from Idaho/Washington state line to the Nine Mile boat launch to wear a life jacket.

"Wear your life jacket," said Deputy Travis Pendell with the Spokane County Sheriff's Office.

"And if you see someone who is not wearing theirs give them a heads up save a life, tell them put your life jacket on," he said.

"If you've ever pulled someone out of the river you don't ever want to do that again and so if you can keep that from happening all the better," he said.