BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KERO) — What was supposed to be a celebration of love, turned into tragedy. Exactly 33 years ago Thursday a pair of cousins drowned in the Kern River. One of their weddings was scheduled for the next day.
23ABC talked to Shelly Schmitt, the bride-to-be, who says she hopes this story helps illustrate the dangers of the Kern River so others stay away.
"It was kind of unbelievable," said Schmitt. "I mean it was really a roller coaster of emotions."
Schmitt lost her fiance, Steve Ensley, in July 1990.
"It was the day before my wedding and I was home getting everything ready for the rehearsal dinner."
Schmitt said she wasn’t sure where her fiance was at the time, just that he was with his cousin and his best man who had flown out from Michigan for the wedding.
"I thought they were going to be late for the rehearsal dinner. Then the sheriff came to the door and said that he was lost in the river, and it was horrible."
Shmitt then went to the river with the search and rescue team who still hadn’t recovered the body. Ensley’s mom was convinced they would find him unharmed.
"And then right before dark, they recovered both of the bodies, and it was horrible, it was just horrible," explained Schmitt. "I just hate to see it happen over and over again because people need to just, you have to respect the river. They were both strong. They were both 25 years old and good swimmers."
Ensley and his cousin slid in the river from a rock when they were about five miles up the Kern River Canyon off Highway 178. The best man was also there, and when he didn’t see them emerge after going in, ran to the nearest call box to phone for help.
"So we went from planning for the wedding to planning the funeral, and you know, they say everything happens for a reason but, I was glad his parents were here and everybody was here for the wedding so I don't have to call somebody and tell them," said Schmitt.
Since then Schmitt has had three children, and always cautioned them to stay out of the river. This year, with high water flows, KCSO has had to utilize search and rescue to recover multiple bodies from the Kern, most recently on Sunday, July 16.
"[We] have completed four recovered missing subjects and there are three outstanding subjects. Out of canals and other waters ways though we have recovered seven subjects," said Lori Meza with KCSO.
"We’ve already had fifteen instances in 2023 in which the Kern County Fire Department helicopter had to be involved in these types of rescues,so that kind of paints a picture of how active we are this year," added Andrew Freeborn with KCFD.
Continued Schmitt: "I mean they were both strong, they were twenty-five years old and good swimmers and you are not stronger than the water. It's horrible to see over and over again people that go to the river. You go to the river to cool off. You don't think it's going to be your last day and chances are it could be. It's just too dangerous to chance it."
Schmitt says the grief has grown less strong over time. She keeps a scrapbook with the wedding invitations, news articles about the accident, Eensley's death certificate, and a card from the funeral. Every time she sees someone drown in the river she says it reminds her of that day.
"That's the thing is every time I just want to cry. Every time I see another story, because I know how that family is feeling and it's hot, you're trying to cool off. You don’t think you're going to die and it can happen, just that fast, and that's really what it is for me is every time I see another story it just brings everything back again/"
All that's happened is hard to relive for Schmitt, who has declined to do interviews with media outlets, but her mind changed when her daughter made this point: "Maybe if you shared your story you could save a life. That's really why I wanted to talk."
Kern County officials want to remind people to stay out of the water, even in areas that appear safe. The water is extremely powerful. KCSO also urges people to stay out of the river to stay alive.
