A Labor Day Warning
Down south in Tennessee, Labor Day weekend is a kind of last summer “Hurrah!” It’s getting about time to close the pools and look forward to crisp fall days. Just in case you are planning one more fun in the pool or lake or river day this Labor Day weekend, I’d like to share one more water warning.
Several mamas have responded to the “Mother and Mama Sue were right!” posts I wrote in late July. One mama told about a two-year-old relative who died in a pool. She, her parents, and her siblings had been in their pool together until it was time to get ready to leave the house. While everyone else was busy getting ready to go, the little one went back to the pool without her floaties.
Another mama told me about a recent accident in her home state of Vermont. A couple died while kayaking. They had life jackets with them but they didn’t have them on when a quick and intense storm came up.
This Vermont mama and her family use kayaking for their homeschool P.E. Through that she has learned about the dangers of cold water and she asked me to pass the dangers on to you. Many people drown in cold water even if they are good swimmers. While some people do survive being in cold water, such as Navy SEALs who train to survive in extreme cold; many people drown. They head out in a boat on a warm day without realizing the danger of falling into cold water.
Our bodies can handle 50 degree air just fine, but 50 degree water can be lethal. There are many causes. Here’s one: Sometimes the shock of cold water on our bodies makes us gasp. If we gasp while underwater, we can die quickly. I had no idea about these dangers until I read some material she shared with me. I was very surprised. When this longtime reader from Vermont asked me to pass this warning on to you, I was happy to do it.
So be careful in cold water — and other water, too.
And, speaking of Labor Day:
The hand of the diligent will rule,
But the slack hand will be put to forced labor.
Proverbs 12:24
Thank you for more great information about drowning prevention. I learned about the importance of always wearing a life jacket after my sailor grandpa fell between the boat and the dock while tying up and broke his ribs! He was an excellent swimmer, but if you hit your head, it doesn’t matter how good a swimmer you are! And you always need your life jacket on, even on the dock because you could fall. They have so many nice ones these days too. They are so much more comfortable than they used to be so there is no excuse not to wear one.