Authorities encourage swimmers and boaters to stay away from rising waters of the Missouri River

KANSAS CITY, Missouri - Floodwaters pose a health and safety risk, but some people keep trying to get out into the water for fun.

Now officials are cracking down.

Parkville police say some people have busted past barricades to go in the water.

A city official saw a woman with two kids playing in the water Tuesday.

They'd come down here with life jackets on, looking to have fun in the floodwaters.

Police say they will write you a ticket if they catch you.

Amy Gurera, her kids and two of their friends walked along the water's edge... wanting to get close and see the rising river.

"We're looking for fish, and frogs, just to see what it's composed of...." explained Gurera.

They stood with toes to the water line.

But when two year old Lucy tried to touch the water, her mom snatched her up.

"You never know what kind of bacteria, or you know, what it's going to bring..." said Gurera.

Gurera's right.

Health officials say this floodwater is contaminated with e-coli, raw sewage, and eggs that will hatch into worms inside your body.

"It looks dirty," said Gurera's son, Anthony.

Carson Doxsee, an 11 year old buddy, added that he sees, "frogs, poo, water..."

Seeing the river is a field trip for these boys between golf rounds.

But Parkville police are watching them and the many others who are coming down for a look.

Officers are ready to write tickets to those who cross the barriers to get in the water.

"We have it quarantined for a reason. The water's contaminated, it's nasty. It moves swiftly in a lot of areas and you don't know how deep it is in spots," said Kevin Chrisman, Parkville's police chief.

At Kaw Point on the Kansas side, boaters keep cutting police tape to get down to the dock.

Kaw Point is where the Kansas River meets the Missouri.

Normally, boating is allowed there, but now right now.

Wyandotte county deputies ordered bigger barricades, which were put in place Wednesday.

"People when they go swimming they don't understand the current of that fast water and how quickly people can drown. How boats can be tipped over. It's just unstable," said Lt. Kelli Bailiff of the sheriff's department.

Trash washing up shows more of the health risk- would you swim in a pool polluted with oil and industrial waste?

Because of the health risk, the Platte county health department extended its offer of free tetanus shots.

They've given almost 350 so far.
 

In a live interview on NBC Action News Today, Chrisman talked about the decision to crack down on those who go in the water.

He says police in Parkville will begin enforcing a city ordinance that restricts where people can and cannot swim.

To hear more of what he had to say, click on the video above.