Posted on 08/02/2010 8:20:12 PM PDT by My Favorite Headache
The bodies of four teenagers were pulled from a Louisiana river Monday while authorities continued to search for two more feared drowned, the Shreveport Times reported.
A group of teenagers -- aged between 14 and 18 -- had been in the Red River in Shreveport for about 10 minutes, according to family members who witnessed the drownings.
It was understood the youths, who did not know how to swim, were wading in the river when the bottom of the river fell away underneath them in a sudden drop.
Shreveport TV station KSLA-TV reported that Cindy Chadwick, Public Information Office for Caddo Parish Sheriff's Office, said six teenagers in total are believed to have drowned.
(Excerpt) Read more at nypost.com ...
RIP.
From a source I know in the area, it is said that one of the teens stepped on a large snapping turtle which sparked a panic and led to them charging into the deeper water.
Floating has to do with how fat you are. Fat people float. Low fat levels and you sink. I sink if I don’t keep moving but swim pretty well. I doubt I’d have survived a sink hole opening in a river though. I doubt anybody could.
What it does indicate, however, is that a person who cannot float should try to avoid a situation where he or she is in deep water and finds him or herself in distress (say, a cramp). That person is going down.
Furthermore, it doesn't matter if that person with the cramp going down is an All-State swimmer (white or black). Once panic sets-in, it's over . . . and their physical condition simply makes it more dangerous for the lifeguard.
I am always curious about people who haven’t learned to swim.
Why can’t you swim? Is it because you didn’t have the opportunity to take lessons? Why don’t you learn now?
( In my case, my parents taught me to swim at about age 5.)
Why don’t you show her a good example and you stop? You are so full of yourself, it’s hard to stop isn’t it?
Just do it, don’t attack anymore, just put down the keyboard and back away. Let’s see if you are even able to do that.
I see what you’re saying but if you’ve been swimming long enough you’ve learned some ways to keep yourself going through a tough swim. Obviously that requires keeping your wits about you but it’s not necessarily true that those who don’t float (like fat people do) will drown.
That said it sounds like swimming was irrelevant to these kids. I’ve been on the receiving end of the hammer blow a significant rush of water can deliver (my case I was in the ocean). Ground gave way that was big enough to hold many kids. That’s going to be a lot of water sending them to the bottom.
Here’s a link to the Shreveport Times which is a Gannett paper and must be linked only..... It has some photos and more info about the incident....
http://www.shreveporttimes.com/article/20100803/NEWS01/8030324/6-teens-drown-in-the-Red-River
From another thread on this tragedy:
“Wow. Local Report stated that at least 15 people witnessed the mass drowning, and NONE of them could swim....”
“It has something to do with some blacks’ BMI and center of gravity”
Nah. That’s an old wives tale. Black kids swim at Scout Camp all the time. Poorer kids just rarely have access to water and instructors. You either learn from an instructor or your father. If your dad can’t swim, half that equation is out.
No, it is not . . . and I’ve taught Advanced Lifesaving.
Please read my #84.
We built a Habitat house for a family with two sons. They both drowned while fishing. They couldn’t swim either and they were from Mexico.
Note: My son sinks as well. He’s all ass and legs so he is the smallest offensive lineman on the team.
I’m just telling you. I don’t float either and I swim fine.
About an age ago, we were heading up the AlCan highway toward Fairbanks. My Brother kept bugging Granddad to teach him how to swim.
Eventually, granddad had enough of being bugged - he stopped on an old wooden trestle-bridge and threw my brother out the window of the truck.
I immediately decided to learn to swim on my own.
(I still remember Grandma’s reaction - I could hear her as I swam in to get my brother...)
The point I was making is general, anyway. There could have been a cave-in, a strong current, anything.
There’s a river like that near us. No one, not even strong swimmers, go into the river. I wonder if these families were new to the area.
I’ve read the same about BMI and center of gravity making it difficult for some colored people to float and even swim.
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