The Brandywine Creek, like many if not most inland waterways, can get rough at times. And as long as people use common sense it’s a safe place for canoeing, kayaking, tubing and fishing.

But common sense also demands that people grasp the truth of Francis Bacon’s advice, “Nature, to be commanded, must be obeyed.”

When the creek, or any body of water is roiling and kicking up the bottom, it’s saying stay out, in a metaphorical way.

Most people understand that, which is why for years there had been no reportable accidents on the Brandywine, no incidents that would be newsworthy. True, some canoes have tipped over, but often that’s either deliberate or expected when certain groups get together.

After years of safe boating, though, things changed last July when a fluke accident claimed the life of a Kennett kayaker when a tree fell onto him and his boat. It was tragic and unavoidable since no one could have foreseen such an incident.

But that’s not the case of the accident two weeks ago when two brothers drowned after they paddled their kayaks over a low-head dam right after a ferocious thunderstorm that turned the creek a chocolate brown, running with rage and fury.

The brothers erred on several counts. They went in when the water was too rough for casual paddling. And even if they were experienced whitewater kayakers, they failed to take into consideration the difference between whitewater and pre floodwater.

And they took their kayaks over a low-head dam, ignoring warnings and likely unable to hear the water rushing over the dam because the rest of the creek was rushing so loudly.

The accident was their fault.

And it was also human error that led to the tubing accident that involved a group of Boy and Girl Scouts last Sunday. Two people had to be taken to Crozer-Chester Medical Center for minor injuries. Again the creek was too rough for recreational paddling–canoeing, kayaking or paddling, but no one involved in the scouting group–read that scout leaders, adults–looked carefully at the water conditions.

Had those leaders done due diligence, simple common sense would have kept the scouts out of the water for the sake of safety. And if there had been any doubt, a phone call to one of the boating outfitters would have given them the word.

The creek is an enjoyable body of water and recent accidents shouldn’t keep people away, but they should follow some basic guidelines such as those included in this week’s story on the tubing incident. If the water is too rough for swimming, don’t go paddling. If it’s running hard and chocolate brown, stay out. And if there’s any doubt, call one of the outfitters, Northbrook Canoe, Wilderness Canoe in Wilmington or Brandywine Outfitters in Coatesville.

And those unfamiliar with the creek should travel with those who are to learn where there are hazards such as low-head dams.

Kayaking, canoeing and tubing are fun activities as long as people use their heads to keep those heads above water–literally.