MOUNT VERNON — Swimming is a staple of summer fun, but tragedy can strike in an instant.
Sandy Chiaramonte, a spokesperson for Ohio State Parks, a division of the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, outlined the standard procedure if someone is presumed missing in a state park lake:
“Depending where in the lake the person was last seen, if it was a beach area, we would probably put together what we call a human chain where people lock arms and walk from the beach shoreline out into the water to identify if there is a person under the water’s surface,” Chiaramonte said. “Oftentimes that’s very successful. But that’s in a beach area where someone alerts us quickly that somebody’s missing. That may not be effective if someone has been missing for a while or if they are in deep water. For those situations, there are water rescue groups that would be called in. We certainly would use all resources available to do a search out in the lake, such as watercraft and dive teams.”
Avoiding situations which could lead to a tragic outcome is the recommended course of action.
“It is very important to swim with a buddy so these things don’t happen,” Chiaramonte stressed. “It is also important to swim only in designated swimming areas.”
“In state parks,” she continued, “we do have an actual administrative rule that prohibits people from swimming or being in the water in an area that is not officially designated as a swimming area. We are very judicious where we designate public swim areas. We mark the areas with buoys and signs and things like that.”
Public safety is one of the park services top priorities, Chiaramonte said.
“SwimSafe is a public awareness campaign we started to emphasis the importance of keeping your eye on everybody in your swimming party. Also, know your abilities and don’t go beyond what you are able,” she said.
Other SwimSafe tips include:
•Swim only in designated areas at the beach or lake.
•Use good sense and keep a close watch on young children while they are in the water.
•Use the buddy system and designate one member of your party to remain on the beach to watch those who are swimming.
•Exercise caution since lakes, unlike pools, may have murky water making it difficult to see drop offs.
•Bring a cell phone to make an emergency call if necessary.
•Take regular breaks and relax on the beach.
•Leave alcoholic beverages at home when you come to the beach. Swimming and drinking do not mix.
