A spate of accidental drownings across New York state this summer casts a focus on prevention and water safety.
Over the weekend, a 15-year-old boy drowned in a private swimming pool in Greece, outside of Rochester, and two New Yorkers drowned in separate incidents in different lakes in Orange County. So far this summer, drownings have also occurred on Lake George and Great Sacandaga Lake.
These tragedies are part of a broader concern -- more than 4,500 people across the country and more than 150 people in New York drown every year, according to the New York State Department of Health. What’s more, drowning is the fourth-leading cause of death among children ages 1-4 and the seventh leading cause for children ages 5-14 statewide.
But, as New York State Temporary Commission to Prevent Childhood Drowning Commissioner & Chairman Marrick McDonald notes, many drownings are preventable. And, often, a life jacket, personal flotation device or poor decision can be the difference between life and death.
"There have been many drownings in upstate New York, water related, fatal or non fatal drownings," McDonald said, "And part of that, as I'm looking at what's going on upstate, is that a lot of the water recreation, they're not taking advantage of using that personal flotation device, and wearing that while they are water recreating. And we want to make sure that we're not making destructive decisions so that as we, as we are participating in water activities, we want to make sure that, as we are having our celebrations, that those celebrations are not on the water, they're near the water or away from the water."
McDonald says personal safety should be priority No. 1.
"First thing that we need to make sure that we need to make sure that we're doing in order to keep ourselves safe is to swim in areas where there are lifeguards. We also want to make sure that parents, guardians, caregivers, are with our children, so that we make sure that they are safer," said McDonald.
Wyatt Werneth is the National Spokesperson for the American Lifeguard Association.
"Learn to swim, America, your ability to swim can save your life. So it's very important to you know, anywhere USA, we have the access to recreation and the water environment. So learning to swim, learning to swim young, is going to be something that, like I said, can save your life someday. "
To that end, New York has made efforts to increase access to safe swimming, via Governor Kathy Hochul’s New York Statewide Investment in More Swimming (NY SWIMS) Initiative. Last week, the governor announced the launch of the second round of the initiative, making $53 million in capital grants available to municipalities and nonprofit organizations to expand access to safe swimming facilities across the state. At least $25 million of the available funding is reserved for projects in underserved communities, ensuring equitable access to safe swimming opportunities throughout New York.
For non-swimmers, Werneth and McDonald say they should don Coast Guard-approved life jackets before entering the water.
McDoanld advises "There's a stamp on the inside of the jacket, which just read that, and it just indicates a US Coast Guard or Transport Canada approved life jacket. And you also want to make sure that there are barriers around your facilities. Backyard pools. If you have a backyard pool, you want to make sure that there are barriers around those areas, so that children can only access those areas when they are around or with an adult."
