LAKE GEORGE — Swimming, boating and paddling are popular summer activities, but after multiple fatal drownings in the state this summer, authorities are urging the public to do what they can to stay safe around the water.
A July 4 incident ended in the death of a 21-year-old woman from Menands who had gotten off of a boat to swim in Harris Bay on Lake George. Nearby, a 14-year-old who had been out fishing drowned on July 1 in the Poultney River in Washington County, and a 24-year-old drowned in Great Sacandaga Lake in Fulton County July 6. While these are the latest fatal drownings locally, they are far from the first the region has seen.
There have been 26 fatal drownings on Lake George since 2010, according to Lake George Park Commission data.
Lake George receives hundreds of thousands of visitors each year, and there has been at least one drowning every summer for the past 15 years alone. According to data from the Lake George Park Commission, which includes the July 4 incident in Harris Bay, there have been 26 fatal drownings on Lake George since 2010.
Lt. Joe Johns, the director of Law Enforcement with the Lake George Park Commission, said that on Lake George the majority of drownings occur in people who are swimming off of boats.
“One thing people need to realize is swimming in a pool and swimming in a lake are completely different,” Johns said. “In the lake, there’s waves that tend to roll over your head. You have to be aware of that. It’s a lot more difficult than swimming in a pool.”
Johns stressed the importance of anchoring boats when people are going to be getting off to swim. Boats that are unanchored tend to drift, which can make it more difficult for people to get back to the boat and get back on.
“While most people make it back to the boat, occasionally someone will die,” Johns said. “So you want to make sure that the boat is securely anchored.”
In the swim
According to Lt. Joe Johns of the Lake George Park Commission, the majority of drownings on Lake George occur when people swim off of unanchored boats without floatation devices.
One of the most important things a person can do to stay safe when in and around the water is to wear a life jacket. All boats should have at least one personal flotation device on board that can be easily thrown to someone in the water if they need help, Johns said.
It is also important for boats to have their motors turned off when people are swimming. Johns said that the ladders people use to get out of the water and back on the boat are usually located at the back of boats next to where the propellers are. Turning the engine off can help prevent injuries that occur when people slip and fall or get hit. Propeller cuts can be very serious, Johns added.
Learning early
The Public Health Education team of Warren County Health Services urges caregivers to make sure that their children learn to swim. They also recommend that everyone learn these five water survival skills:
• Step or jump into water over their head and return to the surface.
• Turn around in the water and orient to safety.
• Float or tread water.
• Combine breathing with forward movement in the water.
• Exit the water.
Health Services also urges the public to know what to do in the event of a water emergency, including how to safely help someone in trouble in the water, how to call 911 for emergency help, and how to perform CPR.
The New York State Department of Health (NYS DOH) reports 150 fatal drownings take place in the state each year. Drowning is the fourth leading cause of death among children 1 to 4 years old and the seventh leading cause of death among children who are 5 to 14 in New York state.