The river has a real soft silty bottom, if it gave way I could see how the swirling current might drown a kid before he could ever get back up.
I would never wade in the Red River,
I know a guy who drowned who was a Marine in Iraq got caught in a whirlpool. With all of his gear he stood no chance in it.
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.