Labor Day is right around the corner, and many people will be heading to the creeks and the rivers.  Too often, summer fun turns to tragedy because someone forgets to follow basic water safety rules.

• Wear a life jacket. Especially kids!
• Watch your kids. Kids can go under or be swept out of your reach very quickly.  Keep a careful watch and keep your kids close by.
• Designate a driver if you are drinking.  Do not operate a boat or a car if you have been drinking.
• Swimming or diving after drinking is also very dangerous.
• Look before you leap.  Never, ever, jump off anything unless you have tested the depth of the water and made certain there are no obstructions.

Summertime with creeks and waterways should be fun.  However, every year people drown in Missouri’s lakes and streams, and too often, the victims of drowning are children or teenagers.  If you are going to the creek or lake with a child, please make sure that you take along a lifejacket or rent one.  It is too easy for little ones to slip under the current.  Many lakes and some rivers can have rapid depth changes due to dredging of the banks, which is where they obtain sand and soil from the bottom of the lake/stream resulting in a quick drop.  Also, please be mindful that a child can drown in the time it takes to answer a phone call.

Never swim alone.  Even strong swimmers can be caught in a strong current or get snagged on debris.  Make sure you have someone there if you need help.

Likewise, if you are having fun and drinking, please make sure that you drink responsibly and do not put yourself in harm’s way by drinking too much and then getting in the water.

If there are thunderstorms with lightning, please be careful.  Many people do not think about the risk of electrocution while in the creek or on a lake, but it can happen and has recently happened here in Missouri, so please be careful.

Labor Day is often the last day of Summer fun on the water.  Please make it a safe one!

Scott Vorhees
scott@4stateslaw.com
Johnson, Vorhees & Martucci
510 West 6th Street
Joplin, Missouri 64801
417-206-0100 office
417-206-0110 fax
866-836-0100 toll free
www.4stateslaw.com

Trial Attorney

Tags: arkansas, drown, fun, injury, kansas, kid safety, labor day, missouri, oklahoma, safety, summer, swim

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