WILMINGTON,
North Carolina—Visitors
to swim beaches at Falls Lake, B. Everett Jordan Lake, W. Kerr Scott
Lake, John H. Kerr Lake, and Philpott Lake in North Carolina and
Virginia will be given stronger encouragement to ‘watch their
babies’ this summer.
“Following the tragic drowning deaths of a 10 year old girl at Falls
Lake on Memorial Day weekend, and a 5 year old boy at Jordan Lake
this past weekend, we want to place extra emphasis on constant,
careful attention to children playing in the water,” said Water
Safety Coordinator Paula Carper. “Neither of the two children who
drowned was wearing a life jacket, and both died while those
watching had looked away for just a few minutes.”
“Older children and adults will be given a ‘Designated Child
Watcher’ card with some instructions on the back for use in
emergencies. The card will be available in both Spanish and English
language versions. The card holder will be asked to commit to
keeping an eye on the children at all times. If that person wants to
take a break, he or she should pass the card and its duties to
another member of their party. We hope this will encourage folks to
remember that their close attention is a vital life-saving tool.”
Carper said visitors can also make use of free loaner life jackets
to help protect swimming children.
The Operations Managers at all five lakes in the Wilmington District
urged every visitor to follow some basic safety rules. This year,
the District’s lakes have seen not only the two deaths of young
children, but also a third young person, 17, is currently in a
comatose condition after slipping under water for several minutes.
Carper said “We do not want any more tragedies to occur this summer.
We will continue to do all we can to help the public be safe. We
encourage our visitors to join with us in our efforts for safe,
joyful fun at our lakes by doing the following:”
·
Watch children at all times |
·
Make use of available loaner life jackets to protect
children in the water |
·
Insist that every person in a boat wear a properly fastened
life jacket at all times |
·
Don’t mix alcohol and water sports |
·
Swim in designated areas only |
·
Swim with a buddy, never alone |
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USACE Inspector General |
DID YOU KNOW ...
Many times we can't actually see water safety
messages manifested themselves, but here's an excellent example
from Hartwell Lake:A Hartwell
ranger was patrolling at Elrod Ferry Park on Labor Day,
specifically talking water safety, when she saw two teenage boys
walking down the shoreline with their life jackets on. She went
over to talk to them. They had been out in a small john boat
when it flipped over, throwing them out. During the conversation
the boy's mother ran up and started hugging them. It turns out
that one of the boys could not swim, but luckily he was wearing
his life jacket. Why? When the family arrived at the park on
Friday the mother had seen the decal message (picture below) on
the gate house window about wearing your life jackets and
insisted on the boys wearing their life jackets. She had MADE
them put their life jackets on before they went out this
particular time. Some fishermen retrieved their boat, and the
two young men and everyone on the beach once again realized the
importance of life jackets, (and listening to your mama).
The
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers South Atlantic Division is
headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia. The South Atlantic Division is
one of eight Corps regional offices, responsible for all or part of
eight southeastern states. Through its five district offices, the
Division manages military construction,
water resources, and environmental programs
throughout the region.
Government Gateway, click below
The POC for this site:
Rob Holland, CESAD-PA
US Army Engineer Division, South Atlantic
Room 9M15, 60 Forsyth St. S.W.
Atlanta, Georgia 30303-8801
Telephone: 404-562-5011
robert.g.holland@usace.army.mil |
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