Eric D. Meyer: Keep water time fun by playing it safe

I was born and raised in Spokane and have lived here most of my life. One thing many Spokanites have in common is that they love water recreation activities. It’s not uncommon to hear someone say they are going to the lake this weekend, or their family is going swimming at the local pool.

Washington has over 8,000 lakes, and Eastern Washington has hundreds of bodies of water, including over 950 high-elevation lakes. Spokane also has about 400 permitted annual and seasonal pools as well as the beautiful Spokane River running right through the center. The point is, water-related activities are very popular in this area. To fully enjoy our beautiful outdoors and water-related activities, let’s review a few facts and safety tips.

According to a national survey conducted by the American Red Cross, more than half of Americans can’t swim or lack basic swimming skills. Data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows that each year in the United States more than 4,000 people die from unintentional drowning. For children ages 1-4, accidental drowning is the leading cause of death, and for those 5-14, the second leading cause of unintentional injury death. Younger Black adolescents are more than three times as likely to drown as their white peers. Native American young adults are twice as likely to drown. On average, 11 people die by drowning every day.

Drowning can occur quickly and quietly – and doesn’t always happen the way people expect. A common misconception is that someone must be fully submerged or unconscious to be drowning. In reality, it can happen in just a few inches of water and usually doesn’t involve dramatic splashing or cries for help. A drowning person bobs up and down with their head tilted back to keep their nose and mouth above the water line. It’s likely they have inhaled water, which makes it difficult to cry out for help and breathe. Knowing the subtle signs of drowning can save a life.

Although children are at high risk, more than 70% of U.S. drowning deaths are among people ages 21 or older, often related to boating accidents, alcohol use or lack of swimming ability, according to the CDC. About 40% of drowning deaths among children aged 5-14 occur in natural water. More than half of fatal and nonfatal drownings among people aged 15 years and older occur in natural or open waters like lakes, rivers or oceans.

Wearing properly fitted life jackets can be beneficial for many activities in and around natural water, not just boating. When in or around open or natural water, whether in a boat or in the water, children and adults are best protected by wearing U.S. Coast Guard-approved life jackets that are well-fitted to their size and fully fastened. This is particularly important when on rivers, with cold water and fast currents.

In addition to life jackets, what else should we do? Here are a few suggestions:

• Always keep an eye on children. If you need to leave, take the child with you or make sure another adult is designated as a “water watcher” and will remain vigilant.

• Never underestimate the power of water; even rivers and lakes can have an undertow.

• Never dive into unfamiliar waters or water that is not at least 12 feet deep.

• Consuming alcohol and swimming can be a bad combination; alcohol is involved in almost half of male teen drownings.

• If you can’t swim, stay out of deep water. Consider swimming lessons for you and all children in the family.

Check out Spokane Regional Health District’s website, srhd.org, and search “drowning prevention” to find our Pools & Water Recreation webpage with tips and suggestions on how to safely enjoy your day at the lake, river or pool. You can also download a 20% discount coupon to purchase life jackets.

Eric D. Meyer is the living environment program manager for the Spokane Regional Health District.