July 24 Daily News editorial

Temperatures are expected to rise into the 90s over the next several days. For many area residents, that will mean another long summer weekend of fun in the water, much of it cold and swift moving. It’s a dangerous combination — hot temperatures and cold water. Throw in strong, treacherous currents, and it can become a lethal combination.

But locals know that all too well. Our community is virtually surrounded by cold, swift-moving rivers that beckon on hot summer days. Not a year goes by that a warm day on the Cowlitz or Columbia rivers doesn’t claim a life.

This year, it seems, has been particularly deadly. The area has seen five drownings and one near drowning this summer. In June, two toddlers drowned in above-ground backyard pools within a week of one another. On July 10, a third toddler nearly drowned in a backyard swimming pool. Thanks to the quick efforts of cousins and neighbors, tragedy was averted. The toddler is fine.

A week later, a young girl was rescued after falling into the Cowlitz River. But the swift-moving current claimed the life of the heroic rescuer, 20-year-old Allen Heck of Longview. Two days later, the body of a 44-year-old Seattle man was found in the Cowlitz. The man had been living in a tent near the river. Kelso police believe the man might possibly have stepped into the water to cool off or bathe. And just two days later, 25-year-old Jacob Woods drowned in the Columbia River. The Longview man was camping with friends on Cottonwood Island and had gone for a swim early on Tuesday morning. One of his friends told Daily News reporter Tony Lystra that Woods was “a great swimmer” and the river appeared flat and calm that morning.

A river’s appearance can lead to trouble for the best of swimmers. A calm surface often masks powerful currents below. That’s why this area’s favored swimming spots — most notably, Willow Grove Park — deserve the utmost respect and caution. County officials and first responders have long recommended life jackets for everyone venturing in the Columbia or Cowlitz rivers. Capt. Mark Nelson, of the Cowlitz County Sheriff’s office says this safety measure is especially important for children. “If you have a small child anywhere near the water, put a life jacket or personal flotation device on your child,” Nelson told Daily News reporter Barbara LaBoe earlier this week. “For goodness sake why wouldn’t you do that? It’s just that simple.”

Indeed, water safety in this area is largely a matter of understanding the special dangers posed by the swift-moving Cowlitz and Columbia rivers, knowing your limitations and exercising common sense. Common sense safety measures would include life jackets in rivers and, for small children, any water. And, of course, taking steps to deny children unattended access to backyard pools.

This is all familiar advice, handed down every summer. We’ll repeat it, with the hope that the tragic drownings of the past two months won’t be repeated in the warm days and weeks ahead.