East Central Reporter

HSHS Good Shepherd Hospital issued the following announcement on June 14.

Memorial Day weekend is the kickoff to the tourism summer season for Shelby County. Each year, Lake Shelbyville attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors to its beautiful beaches, tributaries and waterways for swimming, boating and fishing. HSHS Good Shepherd Hospital (GSS) often sees some of these visitors in the emergency department because of an unhappy accident.

Here are some timely statistics provided by the US Coast Guard. More than 50% of drowning victims never intended to be in the water. Worldwide, there are more than two persons drowning a minute. Of those numbers, half are children between the ages of two and four years old. In the water, these young children are at the highest at risk of any age group.

 Shelby County Dive Team Commander, GSS would like to remind everyone of some best practices in and around water.

• Closely monitor children.
• Swim with a buddy.
• Do not swim beyond your ability.
• Controlled areas such as a beach or a pool are safer than open water.
• Know the depth, currents and debris of your environment.
• Rivers are remote, with limited access and greater currents.
• Hypothermia is created when water conducts heat away from the body. Water does this 25 times faster than air.
• Personal floatation devices (PFDs), also known as life jackets, should be U.S. Coast Guard approved.
• PFDs greatly enhance safety in the water, provide impact protection and help to enhance visibility.
• There are many styles of PFDs from which to choose.

 Kayaks have become increasingly popular. It is important to remember that a kayak sits low in the water which can make it a for poor visibility. S a brightly colored kayak may help. It is also important to hone one’s skills in a safe area before moving to open water or moving water because the mobility of a kayak is much less than a boat.

 GSS Emergency Department Manager Michael Queary said, “We want everyone to enjoy our gorgeous lake and have a wonderful time. We don’t want anyone to get hurt, but should an accident happen, we are here to help you 24/7 all year long.”

Original source can be found here.