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Robin Schell lost her teenage son last summer when he
drowned in a nearby abandoned quarry. "It was supposed to be a fun day swimming
with friends at the local swimming hole," she says, "but Jeremy never made it
out alive."
Jason Peterson was luckier. He spent an afternoon at the
same quarry and says, "It was almost the last thing I ever did alive." Jason
lost his footing on a cliff, fell 100 feet, and landed face down in six inches
of water.
Robin and Jason share their recollections of tragedy and
near-tragedy in public service announcements released this week by the U.S.
Department of Labor's Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA). These PSAs
are being distributed to television stations nationwide in conjunction with
Memorial Day weekend.
"There are thousands of active and abandoned quarries
scattered throughout the country," said Dave Lauriski, assistant secretary of
labor for mine safety and health. "We hope these public service announcements
will help alert young people and their parents to the dangers associated with
swimming in such places.
"I've also had personal experience with rescues from
abandoned mines and can testify that, parents, you don't want your kids to play
in these places," said Lauriski.
Water-filled quarries and pits conceal rock ledges, old
mining machinery and other hazards. The water can be deceptively deep and
dangerously cold. Steep, slippery walls make exiting these swimming holes
extremely difficult.
MSHA produced the public service announcements as part of a
public awareness campaign called "Stay Out-Stay Alive." The campaign will
educate children and adults about the hazards that exist at active and
abandoned mine sites. Every year, dozens of people are injured or killed while
exploring or playing on mine property.
Participants in the campaign include more than 50 federal
and state agencies, private organizations, businesses and individuals who visit
schools and communities to discuss the dangers of playing on and exploring mine
property.
Attention TV and Radio
Public Service Directors: To make sure you receive a copy of the PSA,
contact Amy Louviere at (703) 235-1452. The PSAs
also are available through the Department of Labor's radio actuality service at
1-800-877-9002.
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