Local

Young men most at risk of drowning

KING COUNTY, Wash. — Firefighters who are responsible for rescuing victims are trying to get the word out about just how deadly rivers can be this time of year. The group most at risk of drowning is young men ages 15-25.

%

INLINE

%

"These kids think they're invincible, they're not. Wearing a life jacket is going to help them survive," said Tom Sowards, a rescue swimmer with the Renton Fire Department.

Last year, 17 people drowned in King County; 83 percent of them were male.

Firefighters trained for rescues in the Green River on Wednesday. It was a team training with firefighters from Renton, Kent and Auburn.

To put one diver in the water, it took a team of 25 firefighters to make it safe. They set up a rope system across the river and had two more divers in a boat ready to jump in.

They had more firefighters up and down river watching for hazards and ready with ropes to rescue the diver if necessary.

They invited KIRO 7 to show the dangerous conditions and the safety precautions they take.

King County Parks and Recreation studied drowning deaths in King County and reached out to the at-risk group. They did focus groups at Mt. Si High School, Auburn High School, and Green River Community College.

They purposely targeted students near the county's most dangerous rivers.

Teens said they rarely or never wear a life jacket in a river. When asked why, they said they were confident in their swimming abilities. But the majority said they would wear one if their friends did.

First responders are taking the information and using it to try to stop the deadly trend. They hope teens will understand what happens to a swimmer's body in a cold water and challenge them to warn each other before they even get to the river.

"Their bodies are shocked and they're unable to move. So their muscles slow down and they go under, even if they're a good swimmer they go under," said Sowards. "A life jacket is their best chance of getting out of the river alive."

[Follow this link for a map showing Washington state life jacket loaning program locations.]

[Follow us on Facebook]