SAN ANTONIO – We’ve all probably thought about it at least once, but someone actually took the plunge and swam illegally in the San Antonio River Walk recently.
The incident was caught on video and shared on TikTok by user @officiallytrippin. As of Thursday, the video has more than 618,000 views and over 54,000 likes and counting.
In the video, the person is seen wading across the river before coming up on the edge, smiling. Loud music is in the background and it appears the person was swimming in a busy area.
Many social media users were stunned in the comments section:
According to San Antonio city ordinance, it is illegal to swim in the San Antonio River Walk and doing so could result in a hefty fine. The ordinance reads:
“It shall be unlawful to swim in the San Antonio River within the corporate limits of the City of San Antonio. ‘Swim’ as used herein shall include bathing, wading or any other water contact recreational activity.
Violation of any of the provisions of this section shall be a misdemeanor offense and shall be punished by a fine of not more than five hundred dollars ($500.00).”
There are specific areas where swimming and water recreational activities are legal, in certain sections of the SA River and the Medina River. You can find these locations here, courtesy of the San Antonio Parks and Recreation Department.
It’s unknown if the swimmer was fined. However, San Antonio police issued this statement on the incident:
“Swimming in the San Antonio River is prohibited by City ordinance (Sec. 22-87), which carries a fine of up to $500.00. The safe enjoyment of the San Antonio River by all visitors is of upmost importance to the City of San Antonio and the San Antonio Police Department, especially as this is an active and historic waterway. We encourage people to partake in responsible and legal water recreation activities such as canoeing and kayaking along the San Antonio River in designated areas. Information on canoeing and kayaking can be found at saparksandrec.com.”