Wednesday, August 29, 2001

Water safety urged for Labor Day fun The American Red Cross and the Georgia Department of Natural Resources are partnering up to remind local residents to use caution around water during the Labor Day weekend. Several recent drownings in lakes and rivers near Atlanta have demonstrated that one cause of drowning is swimmers trying to go beyond their own limits, said Sean Penn, water safety product manager. "We will often see drowning occur when people try to swim long distances or attempt to keep up with more advanced swimmers," Penn said. The DNR also urges area boaters to use caution. There have been close to 50 deaths in boating accidents this year throughout the state. "When you analyze each death, you see there was often a lack of judgement, inadequate supervision or inappropriate behavior," said Lt. Col. Terry West, DNR's boating law administrator.   What do you think of this story? Click here to send a message to the editor. Back to the News Home Page| Back to the top of the page