An Olympic gold medalist promoted water safety on Friday at Lewisville Lake.
Neil Walker, a former Olympic swimmer who now lives in North Texas, joined the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for Water Safety Week.
Walker was a medalist in both the 2000 and 2004 Olympic Games, and few people know water like he does.
"I did a rough calculation of how far I've swum in my life, and I've gone around the world once and a little bit," he said.
Now, he teaches swimming.
"Swimming is the only sport that can save your life," Walker said.
Walker learned that at a young age, when his older brother nearly drowned.
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"We were in the water, just playing teeter-totter on the inner tube," he said. "We got dumped, and he didn't come up. I searched around and grabbed him, and he was seizing."
Walker's brother survived, but many people do not.
"We had over 40 fatalities on the 25 Corps lakes here in Texas [last year]," said Col. R.J. Muraski, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Fort Worth District commander. "Ten were boater-related; the rest were swimming-related."
Muraski urges people to pay attention to tips they may have heard before.
"Swim in designated swim areas only. Never swim alone. When you are out there, wear a properly fitted personal flotation device," he said.
