With the summer heating up and a spike of recent drownings, King County officials are urging people to exercise caution when going into rivers and lakes.
So far this year, 12 people have drowned in King County, said Tony Gomez, violence and injury prevention manager for Public Health – Seattle & King County. He said 135 have drowned in the past five years.
Recent years have seen a noticeable increase in the average number of drownings compared to the past, he added.
During a media event at Porter Levee Natural Area, along the Green River east of Auburn, Gomez and other experts warned that recent immigrants are among the groups particularly at risk. Those unfamiliar with Washington’s colder, swifter waters could be more susceptible to danger because of language and cultural barriers.
“When you add current, when you add 20 degrees less warm [water], it creates additional risks,” Gomez said.
Like the rest of the nation, Washington is facing a shortage of lifeguards, creating another challenge as people flock to the water.
“They are marginal swimmers in the pool, and then you put them in a cold lake or river, they may be in trouble fairly quickly,” Gomez said. “Or even good swimmers can end up in a concerning spot. If you’re wearing a life jacket that helps mitigate a lot of that because it’ll be able to stay above.”
Recently, there has been a push to provide swimming lessons to kids from low-income families. Seattle’s Parks and Recreation recently started a pilot program giving free lessons and workshops to around 250 children ages 6 to 16.
Experts outlined potentially livesaving tips:
- People are strongly encouraged to wear life jackets.
- Consuming alcohol and drugs is not recommended when in lakes or rivers.
- Families should designate an adult to supervise children when playing near the water.
- Swimming without a lifeguard nearby is not advised.