•July 15, 2020•
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers announced that more than 30 people lost their lives to drowning in June at lake and river projects the agency manages. The June statistics represent a 47 percent increase in drownings over the same time period last year. USACE also reported that nearly all the drowning victims were adult males between the ages of 18 and 85 and were not wearing a life jacket at the time of the drowning.
“With some public beaches and community pools closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are finding more people this summer are swimming, wading, floating, and playing in open water areas (lakes, rivers, ponds, etc.) not designated for swimming,” said Pam Doty, USACE National Water Safety Program manager.
“Unfortunately, these areas are associated with hidden dangers that swimmers may not be aware of including waves, currents, drop-offs, underwater obstructions and others.”     Login or Subscribe to read the rest of this story.