The Army Corps of Engineers provided NBC5 a profile of a typical North Texas Lake drowning victim.
The statistics help provide some perspective on who is most at risk, and why.
A lake drowning victim will usually be a man between 17-28 years old, the Corps of Engineers said.
In about 90 percent of drownings, the victim had been drinking and his judgment about getting in the water was impaired.
Tips for Safe Swimming This Summer
n- Bring a buddy: don't swim alone even at public pools or lifeguarded beaches.
- Never leave young children unattended near water and never trust a child's life with another child.
- Young children and inexperienced swimmers should always wear U.S. Coast Guard-Approved life jackets.
- Establish rules, and always enforce them. Don't let children play around drains or suction fittings. Also, don't let children have breath-holding competitions.
- Be aware: Cold temperatures, currents, and jagged rocks at rivers and lakes can make water dangerous.
- Always wear a life jacket on a boat. Most boating fatalities occur from drowning.
- Don't drink and swim. Alcohol impairs balance, coordination, and judgement.
- Sign up for swimming lessons if you've never had them.
- Always swim in areas supervised by lifeguards where available n
(Source: Red Cross)
"There's a lot of boats out there. A lot of people drinking and doing stupid stuff," said Rylee McCracken. "You need to know your surroundings. Look around and make sure no one's coming too close to the boats."
McCracken, 18, said even though they're all good swimmers, he and his friends will wear lifejackets on the lake this weekend.
"Just for safety, in case anything happens," he said. "Anything can happen on the lake so you have to be safe about it."
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A lake drowning will usually happen in the late afternoon between 3 p.m. and 6:30 p.m.
And experts also say drowning victims usually swam beyond their abilities. For some that meant getting in the lake without a life jacket; for others it meant trying to swim too far.
James Murphy with the Corps of Engineers says many victims don't meet all of that criteria, but it's the kind of profile first responders will most likely be responding to on a lake drowning call this holiday weekend.
