Editorial: Remember swimming safety lessons

Published 12:00 am Tuesday, July 19, 2005

Four drownings in Minnesota over the past few days should serve as a reminder the water commands respect.

It sure doesn’t take long to get in trouble while swimming or enjoying other water activities and we caution people to give the water its due diligence.

Remember the lessons taught at our mother’s knees:

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Always use the buddy system when swimming and follow the rules of lifeguards

Stay out of the water during storms. Being in the water during electrical storms is unwise and dangerous. Watch the weather and get out as quickly as possible.

Never dive into water unless you know how deep it is. Enter feet first to determine the depth.

Don’t eat or chew gum while swimming; you could easily choke and avoid swimming after eating.

Use a life jacket if you are swimming in water over your head.

If you don’t know how to swim, take swimming lessons. It could make the difference between life and death if you at least know how to stay afloat until help arrives.

Perhaps the most important thing to remember is don’t panic if you find yourself in trouble &045; people have drowned in water shallow enough to stand up in because they panicked.

Enjoy the water, especially during this heat wave, but please remember to stay safe.