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Six teens drown to save drowning teen; family ashore unable to help because...

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S

Spike Spiegel

Member
...because they themselves could not swim.

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5inXN1CXTOhU-0FnIPIWglpSm2B6wD9HC7DQ80

http://www.cnn.com/2010/US/08/02/louisiana.river.drowning/?hpt=T2

(CNN) -- As temperatures soared Monday, the cool water of Shreveport, Louisiana's, Red River lured a group of family and friends to its banks.

In an effort to cool off, one of the teens wandered into the shallow part of the river.

At some point he slipped into deep water and started to drown.

So six more teens went to his rescue.

Only one made it back to shore.

Shreveport, Louisiana, Fire Chief Brian Crawford said as soon as the first teen was in trouble, the others instinctively rushed to help.

"Whether you can't swim or don't swim ... you're just gonna go and do what you think you have to do," he said.

The parents stood helpless on the shore and watched as their children struggled and eventually slipped under the water. The adults could not swim either.

"Imagine watching your child drown and not being able to do anything," Crawford said.

Brothers Litrelle Stewart, 18; Latevin Stewart, 15; and LaDairus Stewart, 17; and siblings Takeitha Warner, 13; JaMarcus Warner, 14; and JaTavious Warner, 17 died.

African-American children drown at a rate almost three times higher than white children, according to Make a Splash, a national child-focused water safety initiative created by the USA Swimming Foundation.

But swimming officials said the key indicator is not race, but family -- children from nonswimming households are eight times more likely to be at risk of drowning.

[more]
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Sorry if old, Google searches for "swimming", "Shreveport", and "drown" in the last week at GAF yielded no results.

So, how many of YOU can swim? And those of you with children, have they learned to swim yet?
 
J

Jangaroo

Always the tag bridesmaid, never the tag bride.
I used to go to YMCA to swim when I was younger. Haven't swam in years but I'm sure I can still swim competently enough. Sucks for the family though. Yikes.
 
S

Srsly

Banned
I could swim at 2, and learning to do it was entirely intuitive and easy. It baffles my mind when I come across adults who can't swim.
 
C

CygnusXS

will gain confidence one day
African-American children drown at a rate almost three times higher than white children, according to Make a Splash, a national child-focused water safety initiative created by the USA Swimming Foundation.

But swimming officials said the key indicator is not race, but family -- children from nonswimming households are eight times more likely to be at risk of drowning.
Click to expand...
Not entirely sure why the author thought this was relevant, but alright...
 
J

Jangaroo

Always the tag bridesmaid, never the tag bride.
Srsly said:
I could swim at 2, and learning to do it was entirely intuitive and easy. It baffles my mind when I come across adults who can't swim.
Click to expand...
Woah, 2? I started learning when I was like 8 or 9. But 2? That's a bit early no?
 
C

Cardigan

Member
Jangaroo said:
Woah, 2? I started learning when I was like 9 or 9. But 2? That's a bit early no?
Click to expand...
I started to learn to swim when I was 3. My sister has a pool and she is teaching her 1.5 year old to swim.
 
DonMigs85

DonMigs85

Member
Srsly said:
I could swim at 2, and learning to do it was entirely intuitive and easy. It baffles my mind when I come across adults who can't swim.
Click to expand...
johnmarston_57012.jpg
 
M

MercuryLS

Banned
MMaRsu said:
How can you not swim or teach your kid to swim? Essential life stuff :\
Click to expand...

Seriously, it's not even that hard. I'm happy that I took many years of swimming classes when I was a kid, I absolutely adore swimming and I feel bad for people that can't swim.

As for the story, goddamn that's depressing. Poor kids :(
 
E

Escape Goat

Member
Jangaroo said:
Woah, 2? I started learning when I was like 8 or 9. But 2? That's a bit early no?
Click to expand...

He most likely remembers wrong. Most people don't even start to form concious memory unti they are 2+
 
B

Barrett2

Member
A similar thing happened in Utah a few years ago. Group of friends wanted to swim in a narrow cave, in which there was a ten foot stretch where you swim through a completely enclosed tunnel. One kid drowned, others went after him, and within a few minutes, four of them drowned.
 
S

Srsly

Banned
Teh Hamburglar said:
He most likely remembers wrong. Most people don't even start to form concious memory unti they are 2+
Click to expand...

Good thing I have video of me swimming at the nearby water park when I was 2...
 
C

Calantus

Member
i was able to swim before i could walk (at least that's what i'm told, but i've been able to swim since i can remember)
 
F

Funky Papa

FUNK-Y-PPA-4
lawblob said:
A similar thing happened in Utah a few years ago. Group of friends wanted to swim in a narrow cave, in which there was a ten foot stretch where you swim through a completely enclosed tunnel. One kid drowned, others went after him, and within a few minutes, four of them drowned.
Click to expand...

First thought: "My goodness, that sounds immensely stupid".
Second thought: "Just exactly what a teenager would do".
 
G

gutter_trash

Banned
see flag next to my tag,
the salty waters of the beach are in our vains and our parents bring us to the beach with NO sunscreen and we learn to love the beach before we can walk.

it's cultural and family education.... us who learn to swim when we were young was because our parents brought us to the pool, beach, lake and showed us the basics from an early age

what I don't get is that there are municipal pools everywhere and they are mostly free I think, parents should just take up the initiative during summers to bring their kids to the pool and show 'em basics
 
D

Doc Holliday

SPOILER: Columbus finds America
Kids get taught to swim as early as 1. They learn to float at one and then to swim when they learn to walk.
 
I

Ignis Fatuus

Banned
I really can't imagine not knowing how to swim. I think it's part of mandatory curriculum in my state, but I'd known from early childhood anyway.

Zaraki_Kenpachi said:
Because not everyone has a pool?
Click to expand...
You don't have to own a pool to find a body of water. Really there is no excuse.
 
I

I <3 Memes

Member
CygnusXS said:
Not entirely sure why the author thought this was relevant, but alright...
Click to expand...

There is a bit of a misnomer that blacks cant swim as well as whites. The truth is that in the past black people didn't have the same access to swimming facilities to learn to swim (white's only) and still dont have easy access to swimming facilities (particularly in inner cities). This has led to older generations not having the skills to teach younger generations to swim as well as younger generations not having access to a good place to receive instruction.

I guess the writer was attempting to explain why black people have a much higher rate of drowning deaths without reinforcing the urban legend that black people can't swim.
 
DonMigs85

DonMigs85

Member
Tntnnbltn said:
That seems ridiculously late, at least from an Australian perspective.
Click to expand...
That's because your island continent could sink at any time, so every citizen must be prepared from a tender age
 
Y

Yaweee

Member
Funky Papa said:
First thought: "My goodness, that sounds immensely stupid".
Second thought: "Just exactly what a teenager would do".
Click to expand...

I think they were college students.

It was five years ago this summer, I think. I recall being completely horrified.

I'm always the one friend saying "I think that is a bad idea." Sometimes it turns out to be for nothing, but I've avoided getting arrested a few times because of it.

sega4ever said:
real strange since people float in water
Click to expand...

Only fat people. I'm astonished at how much less buoyant I am since I started losing weight.
 
E

EdgecrusherLSU

Neo Member
This is the city I am currently staying in. Heard about this on the morning news.

I couldn't believe these people didn't know how to swim but after talking about it in the break-room it seems it is more common than I thought.
 
B

Barrett2

Member
Yaweee said:
I think they were college students.

It was five years ago this summer, I think. I recall being completely horrified.

I'm always the one friend saying "I think that is a bad idea." Sometimes it turns out to be for nothing, but I've avoided getting arrested a few times because of it.



Only fat people. I'm astonished at how much less buoyant I am since I started losing weight.
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IIRC, they were freshman at UVSC. When my friend described what happened in great detail the day it hit the news, I felt claustrophobic just hearing the story. Terrible way to go.
 
U

user_nat

THE WORDS! They'll drift away without the _!
Tntnnbltn said:
That seems ridiculously late, at least from an Australian perspective.
Click to expand...
Agreed, pretty much everyone I know has had swimming lessons from very early.

I obviously don't remember, but apparently I was doing swimming lessons before I could walk.
 
X

xrich

Banned
Ignis Fatuus said:
I really can't imagine not knowing how to swim. I think it's part of mandatory curriculum in my state, but I'd known from early childhood anyway.


You don't have to own a pool to find a body of water. Really there is no excuse.
Click to expand...

Swimming is really a luxury anyway. If you cant swim stay away from large bodies of water. If you are older and embarrassed of this, then go take lessons.
 
stonedwal

stonedwal

Member
Tragic.

Not sure how it is now, but when I was a kid, swimming lessons were pushed pretty hard in Australia. For two weeks every January during the summer holidays from age 6 to 11, we'd be at a pool getting taught to swim with in groups of about 10 or so. I never really liked it as a kid, but I am thankful that my parents and schools pushed it on us.
 
M

maharg

idspispopd
Ignis Fatuus said:
You don't have to own a pool to find a body of water. Really there is no excuse.
Click to expand...

I wonder if all the people who are saying stuff like this have only ever lived near major bodies of water. Where I live, the only places to safely swim that aren't very far outside the city are public pools that are often expensive and/or very crowded. Swimming lessons aren't free, either.

There are a lot of excuses. I'm glad I had a lot of access to pools as a kid, but it shouldn't take a genius to see that there are a lot of families out there that don't have the time or money to go swimming on a regular basis.

Also, knowing how to swim != knowing how to rescue someone who's drowning. Nor does the article in the OP say at any point their intention was to swim. A kid slipped from shallow to deep water.
 
A

Axion22

Member
gutter_trash said:
parents should just take up the initiative
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Whoa, whoa, whoa - don't tell me how to raise my kids.

I'm obviously kidding, but that's the kind of resistance to this practical idea that you'd be met with.
 
A

artist

Banned
Srsly said:
I could swim at 2, and learning to do it was entirely intuitive and easy. It baffles my mind when I come across adults who can't swim.
Click to expand...
I guess you're such a ..
Floater
 
S

SapientWolf

Trucker Sexologist
MMaRsu said:
How can you not swim or teach your kid to swim? Essential life stuff :\
Click to expand...
People who don't learn how to swim when they're young develop a fear of deep water after time that they rarely overcome, and that prevents them from ever learning. They then pass this fear on to their children and the cycle continues.
 
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