Dangers of Irrigation Ditches

A sign at the Maui Mall in Kahului warning people about irrigation ditches.

Irrigation ditches can be deadly. Even though I occasionally enjoy walking alongside the nearby ditches in my neighborhood because they are scenic, I don't dive into them or raft down them. In the rainy time of the year, which started in the fall and will continue through April or so, the same as hurricane season, the irrigation ditches can swell up and flow rapidly. They look like an inviting river ride. Irrigation ditches are located all over upcountry Maui, diverting local streams to the sugar cane plantations.

A couple of years ago, some teenagers went tubing down an irrigation ditch in Haiku, in my neighborhood, got sucked into an intake pump and drowned. It was an island-wide tragedy. 

This sign intrigues me because it's located right in the center of the Maui Mall, centrally placed in front of the multiplex movie theater, a place where teens hang out.