It's happened again -- another mass drowning in a shallow river.

[pilesoflaundry]

I heard this on the news this morning - why can't these kids swim?! All children should get swimming lessons, starting when they are very young. Can't afford it? Find a way. Skating lessons, skiing lesson, gymnastics, piano - all luxuries. Kids don't want to take swim lessons - too bad. Otherwise, these children are in danger of drowning for the rest of their lives.

It's not always that simple. My dad tried hard to get me to learn. I have an unexplained horrible phobia of water. I mean it's bad. I can't help it but I have a panic attack if I get my head under. He took me to the pool every weekend, tried in open water, gave me lessons, paid for lessons.

It's something I have always had, it was hard for me to take showers as a kid. Eventually I got over it enough to not have to take baths my whole life but I still am in and out. I don't stand in there for an hour and enjoy the hot water.

He started when I was really young and we both finally gave up when I was about 10. I still can't swim.

 

[lilysmommy]

I am from the city this accident occurred in. It is a tragedy on many levels. I would like to point out that the area they were swimming/wading in has a history of steep, deep drop offs as well as a very strong undertow. The sandbar in question has been used for picnicing and swimming for years although it is not a "legal" area to do so.

one of the reasons they were in the river swimmig/wading is probably that MOST of the city pools aren't open this year due to budget issues. There simply isn't a safe place to go swim and cool off. It has reached the highest temps of the year in the last 2 days here and many people don't have airconditioning. When temps are above 100 degrees you will try to cool off in almost any means necessary.

there were many wrong turns that day starting with no one being able to swim.

The family is in thoughts and prayers in our community.

 

[JVL1018]

I never took swimming lessons, and I certainly am not a good swimmer, but I can doggie paddle my way back to shore if need be. I wonder if the drowning had as much to do with the number of people (perhaps blindly panicking and trying to "climb" onto the other people)?

That could be..I wouldn't say I almost drowned, but it felt like it in a similar case-people climbing up me.

We were at Stormlaong Bay a few years ago and I jumped into the lazy river, intended to turn back to the side and grab my kids. It's 7 feet deep, I believe, much deeper than any other lazy river I have been in.
My kids jumped in one after the other after me without waiting while my back was turned so I wasn;t ready for them.
My daughter could swim, my son had a life jacket on. They panicked when they could not feel the bottom and both climbed on me-like holding onto my shoulders and head and therefore pushing me under. I could not get them off because they were on my shoulders and arms and I couldn't gather any stregth, so I kept going under. I truly thought to myself I am going to drown right here with a lifeguard 10 feet away-and I have been swimming since before I can remember-grew up with a pool, swam there as well as rivers, lakes, ocean, no problems ever.

Finally I was able to pry their hands off and just somehow throw the kids off of me so I could get my bearings and then gather up the kids. It was probably a minute at most, but it felt like forever and even when I was coming up, I was busy trying to get them off of me and get some air rather than calling for help. My husband was in the pool with us and didn't even know I was in trouble.
When even small people are grabbing on you for dear life you could easily drown.
I still have nightmares about it from time to time and it was about 4 years ago.
I really feel for those poor kids.

 

[jerenaud]

That could be..I wouldn't say I almost drowned, but it felt like it in a similar case-people climbing up me.

We were at Stormlaong Bay a few years ago and I jumped into the lazy river, intended to turn back to the side and grab my kids. It's 7 feet deep, I believe, much deeper than any other lazy river I have been in.
My kids jumped in one after the other after me without waiting while my back was turned so I wasn;t ready for them.
My daughter could swim, my son had a life jacket on. They panicked when they could not feel the bottom and both climbed on me-like holding onto my shoulders and head and therefore pushing me under. I could not get them off because they were on my shoulders and arms and I couldn't gather any stregth, so I kept going under. I truly thought to myself I am going to drown right here with a lifeguard 10 feet away-and I have been swimming since before I can remember-grew up with a pool, swam there as well as rivers, lakes, ocean, no problems ever.

Finally I was able to pry their hands off and just somehow throw the kids off of me so I could get my bearings and then gather up the kids. It was probably a minute at most, but it felt like forever and even when I was coming up, I was busy trying to get them off of me and get some air rather than calling for help. My husband was in the pool with us and didn't even know I was in trouble.
When even small people are grabbing on you for dear life you could easily drown.
I still have nightmares about it from time to time and it was about 4 years ago.
I really feel for those poor kids.

Thank you for sharing this. So many comments have been about parental supervision, but it doesn't seem to be that simple. My kids do play in a river, I can swim. However, they're only allowed to go calf deep and must stay near a parent, or holding a hand, depending on age, because I have no illusions of being able to save them if they were caught in the current.

We know where the edge drops off, as that's where the dog stops chasing sticks, and make sure to stay well away from it. The current is very fast in the middle but non existant for about 6+ feet from the lowest waterline. We are very vigilant, but I'm still not absolutely comfortable because I know how hard it would be for me to do anything. We just lost an RCMP )police) in the river a couple of weeks ago, and he could swim.

Fortunately the stream and the wet dirt are of a greater attraction to the kids, so they're not in the )very cold) water all that much.

Erica

 

[pixiewings71]

My sister did drown in a river when she was about 4 or 5. Luckily my Father was able to get to her (she drifted downriver about 1/4 mile before he found her) and get her to a friend's house and that friend was able to get her breathing again. She's fine now but at the time the whole thing was extremely scary. We all knew how to swim, we all knew to stay away from the river unless Mom or Dad were right there but Dsis slipped on a stick and fell in, Dad went in but the current was just too fast. Again, luckily she's fine (and she's my fave sis) and suffered no permanent damage but you just never know. As a result we have a rule that the kids have to wear life jackets on our friends' boat and if we go to the river and they want to go anywhere farther then reaching distance they need to have a floatation device of some kind, be it a life jacket, inner tube or anything else, they must have a floaty. They are OK with it since they know Auntie Heather almost died from drowing.

This is so sad and tragic, I feel so horrible for those families.

 

[CowboyCO]

Olympic swimmer Cullen Jones, who is African-American has been sponsoring an effort to teach black children to swim. Over 60% of black (and hispanic for that matter) children cannot swim and are three times more likely to die from drowning than white children. Some have attributed it to segregation and closure of pools to black people until the 1960s, but this is a cultural problem. Kids can't swim and they often do tragically die.

To learn more about Cullen Jones' USA Swimming Foundation's Make A Splash Program , go to www.makeasplash.org

 

[roomthreeseventeen]

Holy cow.

Parents, please, please learn how to swim if you are going to let your children anywhere near water. And sign your children up for swimming lessons the second they are old enough. 18 months, two years old, whatever.

This is a ridiculous story.

 

[katlas&kids]

I am a lifeguard & a swimming teach at our local Y. I do teach the adults. One of the articles from Hampton University, which is mainly an AA college in this area, gave us some insite in the history. When AA's were first brought over as slaves, they hadn't really been near or had the need to be in the water. Southern owners told them that they could never learn to swim and would sink & drown if they ran away. This story has come down for many decades. (this was a newspaper water on the differences between races and the ability to swim).

Adults who can't swim no matter what race, either never had a chance, their parents never took/gave them the chance and/or some incident happened in their lives or their families.

I have had grown men and women, scard to pieces, crying and gripping the rails or a family memeber as they come into the pool. Some keep trying, some can't get over the fear. I have had a 50 ish women who could jump out of airplanes (perfectly good ones) but was hyperventalating in 3 feet of water.

If you are scared, but want to try, go slow. Find someone you are comfortable with and trust. Don't let them hold you from the side, but stays in front of you, letting you hold on to theirr arms, not just your fingers. Use noodles of any floating device, thats what they are for.

big hugs to all with a water phobia.I have seen what the fight you have to brave it out.

 

[kristilew]

Never go in after a swimmer in trouble. Always use an object to throw to them and pull them in. A towel, a broom, hose etc.

While this is a good tip for when someone is panicked and flailing, when someone is really drowning, they are often physically unable to grab onto anything. They will be mostly verticali n the water and look like they are climbing a ladder, and they need rescue b/c they can't help themselves. Still, it's important to take a flotation device into the water with you if you are going to assist.

 

[Colleen27]

I never took swimming lessons, and I certainly am not a good swimmer, but I can doggie paddle my way back to shore if need be. I wonder if the drowning had as much to do with the number of people (perhaps blindly panicking and trying to "climb" onto the other people)?

I think you might be surprised at how inadequate that doggie paddle is if ever you found yourself in deep water with any significant current. While I'm sure panic was a factor - nothing leads to tragedy quicker than one poor/non swimmer trying to help another poor/non swimmer in distress - river currents can very easily overwhelm weak swimmers.

 

[bumbershoot]

...at the same time this could happen to anyone.

It could happen to any group of 6 people? 6 people who could swim? 6 people who could swim all at once? In the exact same circumstances, no undertow (since none was mentioned) etc etc etc? I have a hard time thinking that it could happen to any 6 skilled swimmers all at the same time...

YES it's possible for skilled swimmers to drown...but I think it would be far more likely for nonswimmers to drown like this than if you had skilled swimmers in the same situation...

We know where the edge drops off, as that's where the dog stops chasing sticks...

Isn't that interesting? Animals are just amazing.


JVL1018, my goodness, how terrifying!



I had noticed that there aren't many AA kids in swim classes at the Y, but there are some. But I had NO idea about the 69% statistic!!! That's just too many kids who don't know how to swim...

 

[momof1princess]

what a horrible tragedy. my thoughts and prayers go out to these families.

my own DD doesn't swim very well-took multiple courses of lessons for 2 summers, but just could never catch on. DH doesn't swim well either, so DD isn't allowed to swim unless I'M with her, and even then, only in shallow end of the pool; thankfully, i swim like a fish, so if she DID slip into the deep end, i could help her.

 

[jrmasm]

While this is a good tip for when someone is panicked and flailing, when someone is really drowning, they are often physically unable to grab onto anything. They will be mostly verticali n the water and look like they are climbing a ladder, and they need rescue b/c they can't help themselves. Still, it's important to take a flotation device into the water with you if you are going to assist.

But my point really was never go in after someone. The vast majority of people are not trained to deal with someone pulling them down. It is simply not worth the risk.

I was trained and certified many years ago. I don't remember all my training. Unless I outweigh the victim significantly, I wouldn't put myself at risk.

 

[mjkacmom]

what a horrible tragedy. my thoughts and prayers go out to these families.

my own DD doesn't swim very well-took multiple courses of lessons for 2 summers, but just could never catch on. DH doesn't swim well either, so DD isn't allowed to swim unless I'M with her, and even then, only in shallow end of the pool; thankfully, i swim like a fish, so if she DID slip into the deep end, i could help her.

Please don't give up on the lessons! Many children take years of year-round lessons before they can swim. If you are only going to do it during the summers, it's going to be hard. You are always with her now, but won't be there when she's older. Dd14 and her gf's spend all summer in various swimming pools.

 

[Jennasis]

I think you might be surprised at how inadequate that doggie paddle is if ever you found yourself in deep water with any significant current. While I'm sure panic was a factor - nothing leads to tragedy quicker than one poor/non swimmer trying to help another poor/non swimmer in distress - river currents can very easily overwhelm weak swimmers.

I am also a PADI certified SCUBA enthusiast. I had to pass a swimming test to get my certification (open water in the Dominican Republic). I'm not a great swimmer, never had a lesson, am self taught, and manage pretty well.

 

[SandrA9810]

It's strange, in florida, it's constantly reminding the strong swimmers to stay out of the water. Florida beaches are known for their strong rip currents and the news is always trying to warn people.

The ones who die are generally the strong swimmers trying to get out from it. The ones who survive are the ones who allow the water to take them out to sea and then swim parallel to shore.

I'm not a strong swimmer, but I've never had any issues swimming in the ocean or a river. I don't even remember when I learned to swim. Just kinda always have. Of course the story goes that my grandfather just tossed us in till we figured it out, but some how I doubt that's the whole story.

 

[minniecarousel]

This is in the area my brother lives. His daughters know the area well. My niece said that the community was distraught over the loss of lives.

 

[NewmanFamily6]

Wow this is horrible and I really do feel badly for the families. I just have one question if none of them could swim why were they out in the water to begin with? This just seems like poor parenting begging for a tragedy. I know that is not nice but

 

[eliza61]

It has happened again. Six AA teens drowned together while wading in a river near Shreveport, Louisiana. http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory?id=11310245 Two families lost three children each.

A nearly identical incident happened here in Missouri four years ago; that group was at a church outing, and the death toll was five, including four siblings.

It kills me to hear these stories; just kills me. I grew up on the water in a commercial fishing family, and water safety was like a religion to us. I just sent a donation to USA Swimming's Make a Splash Program, and I'm praying for the families of these kids.

It is a sad story, but none of them or the adults could swim. I can't even fathom why any of them would be in a river

Please I mean no disrespect but if none of the teens or adults could swim why did they go in? I agree, this is a tragedy. I pray for these poor people.

You kinda have to understand a bit of African American cultures Blacks are more than 3x's as likely to drown than whites. I grew up in Harlem and it wasn't until I was almost 30 before I learned to keep my head under water and I went to the beach all the time.

I know it sounds ridiculous but my kids can't swin and yet we go to the Jersey shore all the time. My family goes to Disney world and we spend just as much time in the pool and water parks as we do in the 4 main parks. My oldest (19) is learning to swim because he goes to college and he has to take a PE class so decide on swimming.

Not one person in my family knows how to swim. My dh & I were boat owners for almost 10 years before we learned to swim and even now I would not call myself compatent (sp) in the water.

http://abcnews.go.com/WN/teens-drown-wading-louisianas-red-river/story?id=11312631

http://abcnews.go.com/WN/drowing-rate-black-kids-times-whites/story?id=10965334

For many minorities swimming lessons are way down on the things to pay for and if you live in the inner city like I did, where would you even go for lessons?

 

[Squirlz]

Wow this is horrible and I really do feel badly for the families. I just have one question if none of them could swim why were they out in the water to begin with? This just seems like poor parenting begging for a tragedy. I know that is not nice but

Because of the extreme heat. When one of them began struggling the others tried to help.