Water safety remains concern for Latinos

The summer season is definitely in full swing as far as heat is concerned. It’s pretty miserable for me outdoors. Remember, I’m the guy who applied to go to college in Alaska (lack of financing kept me from going). So I’m not a big fan of hot climates. Luckily, compared to Miami where I’m from, North Carolina still has the wonderful benefit of offering a healthy six months out of the year when the car’s air conditioner is not crucial.

So why am I talking about the summer and the hot weather? Well, the hot weather is going to bring people like me closer to the water. And many of my fellow Hispanics — and others alike — will be seeking refuge in the cooling waters of the numerous lakes that abound in our wonderful state. Falls Lake, Jordan Lake, Kerr Lake, Lake Wylie, and Lake Norman are just a handful of the many lakes where people will be swimming as the summer heat boils down on us.

Unfortunately, while water is a fundamental requirement for sustaining life, it can just as quickly take it away. For the past few years, we’ve had several incidents of Latinos who have drowned in lakes around the state. A couple of years ago, the state began installing signs in Spanish and English that at least now explain to lake goers that there may be no lifeguards on duty and that they should exercise precaution.

While some of this information may seem obvious, it’s also important to understand that some of the new residents we have in our state might not have the kind of experience with the sea or lakes that lifelong residents may have. Take me for example…I grew up swimming in pools and the ocean. My first paycheck went towards acquiring my SCUBA diving certification. Yet the first time I can recall seeing the kinds of lakes that exist in North Carolina didn’t come until I moved here. While we have plenty of canals and smaller, neighborhood lakes in Miami, there are no lakes like the man-made large bodies that you have here with the beautiful forests that surround them.

This may contribute to the accidental drownings we’ve seen in disproportionate numbers among Latinos during the past few years. According to our department’s mortality statistics, there were six drownings among Latinos in 2002. The following year – the last year for which there are complete numbers – that number went up to 10. In all, there were 83 people who drowned in 2003. This means Hispanic drownings accounted for 12 percent of the total, while Hispanics make up less than a tenth of the state’s overall population. Unfortunately – like with so many other health and safety issues – there simply may be a lack of awareness of the dangers that exist. Lakes and rivers can harbor dangers that may be unfamiliar to some of us: underwater drifting logs, rocks, or unexpected currents or drop-offs that may catch a swimmer or wader by surprise.

To combat this, at the start of each summer, we now aggressively stress the importance of heeding water safety precautions. These include the added safety of swimming with a buddy, and taking swimming lessons if you don’t know how to swim. It also bears mentioning that large quantities of alcohol have no place near the water – whether you’re on a boat or simply going in waist-deep into the sea. The importance of a Coast Guard- approved life vest can’t be overstated. But perhaps most importantly – at least as far as children are concerned – is the critical value of having a responsible adult keeping vigilant watch over children any time they’re near water. Having had a cousin drown in the family pool in Orlando two years ago, I am especially sensitive to this life-or-death lesson.

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Last Modified: June 29, 2005 June 30, 2005