Skip to main content

President's Perspective

By
Melissa Sutton, President of the Drowning Prevention Coalition of Arizona

I looked through the lens of our Maricopa County Sheriff's Office - Lake Patrol yesterday for 12 hours. I cannot sing their praises enough for the work they are doing in public safety, but specifically drowning prevention.

The morning began on their air boat for a trip up and down the river. Things that were exciting to see: Many "private" equipment (meaning it was not a rental) SUP and kayak owners donned their life jackets - yea! ... but not all - Boo! 100% of the pet owners had their dogs in life jackets. I loved seeing that! Where the problem was... the rentals. It was a rare sighting for a life jacket on that group - EVEN the KIDS! Unfortunately, the way the laws are written in Arizona, there is no violation. Looks like I know where to start on the education! The Sheriff's office has encouraged the tube rental place to carry life jackets, which they now do... looks like I might have to bridge that knowledge gap.

When we first arrived at Saguaro Lake, we saw the Game and Fish folks roll up to re-stock the life jackets for the Life Jacket Loaner Station - Woo Hoo! Filling it up for the holiday weekend - Yea! So cool to see that spectacularly collaborative effort still going strong!

The MCSO Sherrif's office do such a great on patrolling that area - the river, lake and roads. So much that when I was on the Lake Patrol boat on Saguaro Lake, there were no citations given the three hours while I was aboard their vessel. A few warnings for minor things, but they have such a presence, people know to not screw around and make good choices.

However, there were still FAR too many overly inebriated folks getting off the river. I took video of a guy who couldn't even get out of the water without his friends helping him (and there were more than just that one guy). Of course, no life jacket. He would be dead if he were to be caught in a current and swept away from his group. More education needed there...

After I left the lake, I got to put on my hiking pack (yep - brought 6 liters of water with me and my slightly-more-advanced First Aid kit... it was 106 out there!), hike in and help rescue a couple who got their Jeep stuck in a (dry) wash. PSA: Hiking in flip flops in the desert is NOT recommended... nor taking your brand-new, stock Jeep in to an area like that.

When I left at nearly 8:00pm last night, there were ZERO drownings (on the river or lakes - don't know about our pools yet), ZERO DUI's from the area I was in, and only one OUI (Apache Lake - I wasn't out on that lake that day). These guys and gals are doing an excellent job. Thank a cop today, if you see one - you should - they are everywhere, keeping us all safe this holiday weekend!

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Data Doctor: Tim Flood Honored with Aquatics International's Power Award

By
AWARDS February 21, 2019  0 2019 Power Issue Data Doctor: Tim Flood Honored with Aquatics International's Power Award His research was the catalyst for the formation of the Drowning Prevention Coalition of Arizona and has spurred other organizations to initiate safety programs in an effort see those published numbers go down. By  Nate Traylor Dr. Tim Flood has been tracking Arizona’s drowning rates since 1990, compiling reports that detail how many deaths occurred and where they happened. His annual reports are the barometer by which water-safety experts gauge their progress. His research was the catalyst for the formation of the Drowning Prevention Coalition of Arizona and has spurred other organizations to initiate safety programs in an effort see those published numbers go down. There was a time when drownings were assumed to be relatively rare in Arizona. After all, it is a landlocked, desert state. ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Devoted Messenger: Michele Long of the City of Mesa Fire and Medical Dept. Honored for Outreach

By
Home  >  Awards  >  Devoted Messenger: Michele Long of the City of Mesa Fire and Medical Dept. Honored for Outreach AWARDS February 06, 2019  0 2019 Power Issue Devoted Messenger: Michele Long of the City of Mesa Fire and Medical Dept. Honored for Outreach The outreach administrator works on a local, state and national level to spread the water-safety message. By  Rebecca Robledo When Michele Long decides to tackle a problem, she comes at it from all angles. That’s why, for the past 12 years, she has participated in drowning-prevention efforts at the local, state and national level. Long serves as the community outreach administrator with the Mesa (Ariz.) Fire and Medical Department. In her 19½ years in various positions with the department, she has provided peer support to the city’s first responders and educated the community about safety and health issues. So she had to sp...
Post a Comment
Read more

ALARMING RISE IN DROWNING INCIDENTS IN ARIZONA: World Drowning Prevention Day, July 25

By
  CONTACT: Lori Stauffer, DPCA Vice President, Mobile (480) 272-1710   Alarming Rise in drowning Incidents in arizona Awareness and action urged on world drowning PRevention day, July 25 As Arizona continues to swelter this summer, a stark and concerning trend has emerged: a significant rise in drowning incidents across the state. In recognition of World Drowning Prevention Day on July 25, the Drowning Prevention Coalition of Arizona is calling for urgent attention to this preventable heartbreak. “Drowning is a silent and swift tragedy that can occur in a matter of seconds,” says Jay Arthur, DPCA president. “With the right knowledge and precautions, we can significantly reduce these numbers and save lives. World Drowning Prevention Day is a crucial reminder of the importance of water safety.” Arizona has already surpassed the number of child drownings in all of 2023. Nationally and locally, almost 70 percent of these drownings were during non-swim times.  According to the...
Post a Comment
Read more