The Captain of the Prairie Lily wishes the people he shares the river with were more situationally aware.

Mike Steckhan says he makes the journey up and down the river two to four times a day, which has brought to his attention how little awareness some people have regarding their surroundings.

He explains that the 107-ton Prairie Lily follows a narrow, predetermined course and can’t stop very quickly, making it hard to avoid obstacles in its path.

“Do I risk my 100 passengers on my ship who I’m legally responsible for, do I risk their safety, or do I risk the safety of the person in the water? And I hate being put in that position if you could imagine.”

Steckhan’s advice to those canoeing, paddleboarding or boating on the river is to treat it like the water highway that it is.

“You wouldn’t walk down Circle Drive with your eyes closed in the middle of the street. Be aware and really consider the fact that we can’t stop on a dime.”

He says in extremely close calls, he will honk the horn at those in his way, an action of his which is often met with anger.

“If someone tangos with that ship, they’re going to lose. There’s no doubt about that. Whether you’re in a speedboat or a kayak, it doesn’t much matter. You’re going to lose. I just don’t ever want to see that happen. We do everything we can to avoid any sort of an incident.”