City officials say it’s not possible to have lifeguards on duty before June 20 this year, but maybe in the future. Hot temperatures and cold water make early-season swimming both popular and more hazardous.
The drowning Sunday of a 17-year-old boy in Lake Washington, as well as the possibility of hot weather arriving before the official start of summer, may prompt Seattle in the years ahead to move up the date city beaches are staffed with lifeguards.
The city has historically staffed nine public beaches with lifeguards starting June 20, but this past weekend, with temperatures reaching near-record highs, people flocked to Seattle’s parks and beaches.
On Sunday, 17-year-old Cuong Uong drowned in Lake Washington while swimming with a friend, according to the Seattle Fire Department.
Lt. Harold Webb said Uong and another male were attempting to swim from a dock to the shore near Mount Baker Beach when Uong went underwater.
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His companion tried to help, “but could not hold on to him, and he went down,” Webb said.
The Fire Department arrived about 6:18 p.m., and divers searched for the boy for about 45 minutes before he was located about 30 feet from shore in 15 feet of water.
Firefighters performed CPR and took Uong to Harborview Medical Center, where he was later pronounced dead.
According to a King County lake-buoy reading, the water was about 67 degrees Sunday evening.
David Takami, a spokesman for Seattle Parks and Recreation, said on Monday that it’s too late to try to staff lifeguards at the city’s beaches before June 20.
“This is a tight and complex schedule, and we are still in the finishing stages of hiring and training the lifeguard staff, many of whom are college students, so it’s not feasible to start earlier,” Takami said in an email.
The city is just now gearing up for the summer season by staffing the city’s beaches on Lake Washington and Green Lake with lifeguards, he said.
June 21 is the official start of summer, although Takami noted the city often experiences warm weather in late spring.
Seattle World School, where Uong was a junior, sent an email to students’ families on Monday identifying the victim.
In the letter, Principal Concie Pedroza said the father of Uong would hold a private memorial on the shore of the lake Monday.
Pedroza also wrote that the family has requested assistance with funeral costs and that donations can be made through a crowdfunding site.
To donate money, go to the Central Community Church website. Under the tab labeled “Fund,” select “Seattle World School,” and in the comments section, select “family support.”
According to Public Health — Seattle & King County, drowning is the second-leading cause of unintentional injury and death to children through age 17. The agency said males are four times more likely than females to drown.
Public Health officials also say cold water conditions in early June affect swimming ability, especially for beginning swimmers.
Takami said the city will stress the importance of swimming at beaches with lifeguards once the summer season begins.
He said there has not been a drowning at any of the city’s guarded beaches for the past 40 years.