The Fresno County Sheriff's Office reopened the river from Pine Flat Dam to Highway 180.
A part of the river, south of the Goodfellow Bridge to the Tulare and Kings County Line, has also reopened. The stretch from Goodfellow to HWY 180 remains closed.
The Sheriff's office says they are allowing people back out onto the water because of lower water releases from the dam. They still warn people out on the water to be very cautious because the water is very cold and fast.
The Merced River near Snelling has also reopened to the public.
It's the first time the river has been open since this incident on June 30 when Merced County rescuers needed to be rescued themselves. The Merced County rescue boat capsized as they tried to pull some stranded boaters out of the swift, cold water.
The next day county officials announced an emergency 10-day closure. Authorities warn that water is still very dangerous and urge people to use caution around the river.
