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Knowing your limits: Waters turn deadly for Texas swimmers
Posted: Sat, 25 Jun 2011 01:25 PM - 10,466 Readers
By: Ryan Loyd
Summer fun is turning deadly in Texas. Recent swimming deaths have prompted experts to take a closer look at safety. The most recent death happened Thursday night at Lady Bird Lake in Austin. On Saturday afternoon Travis County authorities were searching the area near Windy Point in Bob Wentz Park for a Houston man that disappeared in the water. That's the same area where a man drowned just last weekend. Waves roll in along the shore of Lake Travis. "We were in El Paso last year, so it's nice to have water. So, we're taking advantage of it," says Alicia Yates. Taking a cool dip in the water is hard to resist on hot, sunny Texas days. Yates says she is an over-protective mom. She makes the children wear life vests. "I'm afraid if they go down, I won't be able to find them," says Yates. Yates' oldest boy likes to venture out a little further. But, no matter how old you are people like Blake Litton say the current is strong and can play dangerous games with anyone. "I looked up and she was standing right next to me at first, and then I looked up and she was about 10 to 15 feet away all of a sudden," says Litton. So, it's good to be cautious. "I'm just paranoid, period, when it comes to water," says Litton. "I'm not that strong of a swimmer. I sink automatically. There's no floating going on with me." Litton says he knows his limit. "It's easy to be tricked into thinking you're a better swimmer than you are," says Clara Tuma with the Lower Colorado River Authority (LCRA). "And in the lake, there's really no wiggle room for error." The LCRA makes it very clear. Signage warns that any water way is dangerous. They say wear your life vest, never swim alone, and be careful when consuming alcohol. Officials suggest supervision and extra precautions when watching children in water. They also urge parents to learn CPR... just in case.
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