Lakes, Rivers and Open Water

Lakes, rivers, ponds and quarries are not pools. The bottom can drop off without warning, the water is dark and often colder than it looks, currents can run through shallow water, and help is usually farther away. CDC reports that almost half of fatal drownings among people 15 and older happen in natural water such as lakes, rivers or oceans (opens in a new tab), and that children should wear life jackets for all activities in and around natural water (opens in a new tab).

None of this means staying away from the water. It means going with a plan. Start with lake swimming safety, the guide to read before a lake weekend or a lake-house trip. Then use the guides below for the kind of water you're visiting:

• Moving water: river safety, low-head dams and swimming holes, creeks and waterfalls.
• Still water that looks safe but isn't: quarries, ponds and reservoirs.
• Choosing where to go: choosing a safe place to swim and algae blooms and water quality.
• The choices that matter most: feet first, first time, alcohol and swimming and open-water skills for pool swimmers.
• On the shore and the dock: fishing safety and electric shock drowning.

Every guide here cites its sources, so you can check the advice yourself. Three habits run through all of them: a properly fitted life jacket for every child and every weaker swimmer, one sober adult watching the water, and "reach or throw, don't go" if someone is in trouble. Cold water deserves its own attention, so see cold water and ice safety too.