Don’t let a day at the water turn deadly

One of the best reasons to live in or visit southeastern Connecticut is its proximity to water and all the recreational opportunities that abound on or near the region’s many lakes, ponds, rivers and Long Island Sound. While boating, paddling, swimming, wading and picnicking on the beach are among the greatest of summertime pleasures, water also can be dangerous, especially for those who cannot swim or who do not treat water with a healthy dose of respect and caution.

Drowning statistics paint a grim picture. According to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more children from 1 to 4 years old die from drowning than any other cause of death. It’s also the second leading cause of unintentional injury death for children 5 to 14 years old, according to the CDC. Further, the CDC reports there are more than 4,000 unintentional drowning deaths annually in the U.S.

The American Red Cross reports that about 15% of Americans cannot swim at all. That percentage increases among certain demographic groups such as those in lower income brackets. In addition, even among those who are able to swim, many aren’t strong enough swimmers or lack enough knowledge of water safety techniques to allow them to save another person from drowning or to get themselves safely out of unusual water conditions such as particularly strong currents and rip tides.

In Connecticut, the office of the Child Advocate reported in 2018 that 39 children from 1 to 17 years old died of accidental drowning in a seven-year period from 2011 to 2017. In the past five years, six people drowned at Connecticut State parks, including a 2021 drowning at Rocky Neck and a 2022 drowning at Uncas Pond, according to information from the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection.

This summer, a mother and her 5-year-old daughter drowned at River Park in Baltic. On Friday, officials were searching the waters for a 15-year-old New London boy who was presumed drowned. He reportedly disappeared beneath the waves near Weekapaug, a section of Westerly.

While not every tragedy is preventable, strong swimming skills and commonsense actions such as wearing personal flotation devices or knowing how to successfully navigate a rip current would help reduce the number of fatal drownings. Very young children can drown in as little as an inch of water and even strong swimmers can die if knocked unconscious by underwater rocks, debris or other objects. The large amount of trees and other debris swept downriver by torrential rains and flooding in northern New England have created especially hazardous conditions this summer.

Basic and more advanced swim lessons are offered in many southeastern Connecticut communities. The New London Recreation Department, for example, offers a variety of swim lessons in the pool at Ocean Beach Park daily. In addition to the $55 per six-week session lessons, about 40 children who participate in the city’s Boys and Girls Club programming receive free swim lessons.

In February, DEEP announced a free swim lesson program at 14 Connecticut YMCA locations, including Mystic. The $1.5 million program was funded with American Rescue Plan Act money.

While there’s no doubt the children who participate in these learn-to-swim programs benefit greatly from them, more swimming and water safety programming is needed. No child or adult, especially those who live in a shoreline community or near inland ponds or lakes, or anyone who uses a backyard or community pool, should be unable to swim. No child or adult who participates in water recreation should be without personal flotation devices. No child or adult who can swim should not understand the special hazards of diving near rocks or swimming in rip tides.

Municipal and state officials must find ways to increase swimming and water safety knowledge, as well as access to personal flotation devices, for all residents, regardless of age or income level.