Terrible summertime accident

[dcompton]

We've had a terrible swimming accident here in Shreveport. Two families were picnicking at the river near a small park, and the children, teens, were wading. None of them could swim. One of them stepped over a drop off, said to be 20-28 feet deep. The other six tried to rescue him. He was pulled out by someone else, but the six who tried to help all drowned. Each family lost three children. It was not a swimming area and there was no lifeguard.

Please parents - teach your children to swim. Or don't let them go into unguarded places in rivers, lakes, the ocean. Nature can spring some really nasty surprises.

[Momto5RN]

i read that in the paper this morning .. how sad .

[frugalfriend]

I just read about that horrible accident. The poor families . . . my heart goes out to them.

[KatieInLa2]

Please make sure everyone wears a life vest around water. That was such a heartbreaking accident. All the teens were good kids/honor students.

[baxjul]

That's horrible. My heart goes out to both families.

[mndtrp]

As a child, I was taught not to go in after someone, and to try using something for the person who can't swim to grab onto. Unfortunately, I was taught that in swimming lessons.

My wife can't swim, so I'm probably going to throw her into swimming lessons in the near future.

[frugalfranny]

Wow...heard about it on the news but didn't realize that they lost that many children! How sad!

I agree with the swimming thing. DEFINITELY!

But here it is the fast moving river that always claims a few lives. The 'swimmers' always think they are good enough to beat it! WRONG!

[pinetree]

We saw it on the news the other night, its so sad .

[imagine]

As a child, I was taught not to go in after someone, and to try using something for the person who can't swim to grab onto. Unfortunately, I was taught that in swimming lessons.

My wife can't swim, so I'm probably going to throw her into swimming lessons in the near future.

"Throw, don't go"
My kids learned that in swimming lessons too

My kids automatically repeated that phrase as soon as they heard about the sad drowning. I hope it comes out that easily when they see a friend starting to drown.

[NikoSan999]

Heard and read about this also. Can't even start to imagine. Absolutely horrible.

[Bobby Rodgers]

I read about this yesterday. I feel so sorry for the families involved

[imagine]

Please parents - teach your children to swim. Or don't let them go into unguarded places in rivers, lakes, the ocean. Nature can spring some really nasty surprises.

I agree

I grew up near natural water, because of this the public school I attended required swimming lesson in P.E. for fourth grade through high school.
We were required to pass the highest level of red cross swimming lesson to graduate. (Had to pass swimming to pass high school P.E. had to pass P.E. to graduate.) We also had to become Red Cross CPR certified to pass the required health class and thus graduate.

The school took our safety seriously.

[Michelle68]

I heard about this on the news. It is truly heartbreaking. Being from around the coast, I was taught to swim at a young age. I also made sure my kids took swimming lessons when they were young. What a terrible tragedy for this family.

[kaurand554]

I heard about this on the news too...

How awful for the families...and especially for the child that survived; that they all went in for...God knows, what he is feeling right now, being the one saved.....and losing his friends..

My news did't say if they were locals?

Maybe it is because, I have always had a pool.... but I can't imagine a teen not knowing how to swim...

[dcompton]

My first thought was for the survivor too and what he will suffer for the rest of his life. I'm not sure but some of the drowned may have been his brothers/sisters. It sounded like it was only the two families involved.