Safety is critical in recreation on Sisters Country waters

Drownings are often inexplicable, unfair - and preventable.

Four deaths in Central Oregon have occurred this summer as temperatures rise, and people seek inviting cool waters.

There has been one "still water" drowning at Scout Lake this summer, another in a slow-moving portion of the Deschutes in Bend, and another in fast-moving rapids near Maupin. The fourth involved a fisherman who fell from a boat in Lake Billy Chinook.

There are about 3,600 drownings in the United States per year, or about 10 per day, according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Males are about four times more likely than females to die from a drowning, because of "...increased reckless behavior and use of alcohol," according to the World Health Organization.

Adolescents and young people from 15 to 24 have the highest drowning rates.

Taylor Robertson, Sisters-Camp Sherman fire chief, said the most important thing people can do is wear a Personal Flotation Device, or PFD.

"Be safe and wear it," he said.

He said people need to know their capability in the water and be familiar with the place where they are swimming or boating.

Jeromy Norman, a manager with McKenzie River Adventures, recommends using lifejackets that are approved by the United States Coast Guard.

"They need to have a good strap that goes all the way around the body," he said.

He also recommends lifejackets that will keep the head up if someone has passed out or is knocked unconscious.

Norman says people who float rivers should always have a map with them and know the area they plan to float. People should gather as much information as possible and then match their skills and equipment to the difficulty of the water.

Once they are on the water, it is a good idea to minimize the number of ropes on board so they don't tangle around hands and feet, he said.

A big problem in the cold waters of Oregon is hypothermia. Usually, people learn to swim in a pool and don't understand how cold water can affect the body.

Hypothermia means the lowering of the body temperature and can quickly lead to a "deathlike state" that gradually turns off all the enzymes in your body that control organ function. Motor skills are one of the first things to go, according to the CDC.

Swimmers who learned in a pool also have little experience judging current or distances, factors that can lead quickly to exhaustion.

Besides wearing a life jacket, water safety recommendations include:

• Become trained in CPR techniques.

• Make sure one person is designated to keep track of small children while near water. Small children can drown in two inches of water in just minutes. Irreversible brain damage can occur in three to five minutes.

• Don't rely on noodles, water wings or toys for children.

• Do not mix alcohol and drugs with water activities.

• Spend some time becoming familiar with an area before swimming.

• Don't swim alone, but don't count on a buddy. Unless one is trained it is tough to save someone in the water.