During the past few weeks the sun has been seen in the skies over Kirkland. We don’t see it too often and it warms the air and makes many of us want to get outside and enjoy our beautiful surroundings. It even makes many of us want to jump into Lake Washington.

For us at the Reporter and those in emergency services we have a different take on the warmer weather. We know that certain calls or stories are headed our way.

“Always wear a life jacket. Rivers are dangerous year-round, but especially in the springtime due to cold water and faster flows,” said Christie True, Director of the King County Department of Natural Resources and Parks. “And it’s important to understand that river systems are constantly changing, with rocks and submerged trees shifting and presenting new hazards from year to year.”

The stories are told far too often during the spring and early summer months. The stories are normally somewhat the same from year to year. They are about people not realizing how cold the local waters are or people forgetting their life preserver on local rivers and being pulled under.

Stories about a drowning are some of the worst that we have to write. They are horrible stories because they are preventable.

With kids getting out of school soon, even more people will be flocking to all the great Kirkland parks and beaches. Boating is a great pastime in Kirkland. But don’t get lulled into a false sense of security; wear a life jacket.

“Take advantage of pools for safer swimming. If you do go on the river or lake, life jackets should be standard equipment,” said Dr. Jeff Duchin, Interim Health Officer for Public Health – Seattle & King County.

Don’t become a statistic; wear a life jacket on Lake Washington and stay safe by swimming with friends and staying close to shore. That is not the type of story we want to write about people in our community. Have fun in the sun but stay safe this summer.

“I urge everyone to use caution when going into the water,” said King County Sheriff John Urquhart. “Wearing a life jacket while having fun on the water should be second nature – like clicking your safety belt when getting into a car, or snapping on a helmet when going for a bike ride.”

A King County study of recreational river use along the Cedar River in 2011 confirmed the widely held notion that summer recreation is largely determined by warmer temperatures. When temperatures are in the 70s, there are likely to be people floating on the river. When temperatures reach 80 degrees or higher, floating, swimming and other recreational river use along rivers increases dramatically.

King County, Public Health – Seattle & King County, and the King County Sheriff’s Office encourage kayakers, boaters, rafters, swimmers and other river users to check conditions and scout rivers thoroughly for hazards before entering the water. Sometimes the best plan is to not enter the water.

For details about river safety, visit www.kingcounty.gov/riversafety. For more information on water safety and drowning prevention, visit the King County Water Safety website, www.kingcounty.gov/healthservices/health/injury/water.

Statistics

· In 2014, Public Health – Seattle & King County found that 15 people died in preventable drowning incidents – and nine of them occurred in open water, such as rivers, lakes, ponds, or Puget Sound.

· Eight of the deaths could have been prevented with life jacket use.

· Half of all deaths involved alcohol and/or other drugs.

· Drowning is the second leading cause of unintentional injury death for children and teens age 1-17 in Washington.

Matt Phelps is the regional editor of the Kirkland and Bothell/Kenmore Reporter newspapers.