Jun 19, 2009 | 2 min read

Accidental Drowning in Morehead City Should Renew Interest in Water Safety

Morehead City officials are reporting what they call an accidental drowning. Officials say they found the body of 49-year-old James Bell of Newport on the shore of Bogue Sound behind Carteret Community College Wednesday afternoon. An autopsy classified the death as an accidental drowning.

Especially during the summer there should be special attention given to proper water safety to avoid possible drowning. Here are some tips to keep in mind when swimming in unfamiliar waters:

Training to Help Prevent Drowning:

Learn to swim
Basic water rescue.
Keep a watch out for others.
Swim in areas where adequate supervision is present such as a trained and certified lifeguard.

Common Sense Around the Water to Help Prevent Drowning:

Ensure that boats are reliable, properly loaded and that functional emergency equipment is onboard.
Wear a properly fitting lifejacket while enjoying water sports such as sailing, surfing or canoeing.
Pay attention to the weather, tides and water conditions, especially currents. Currents always look weaker from the outside!
Have a locked fence around swimming pools.
Consider cold-acclimatization training for swimming in very cold water.
Bring a cordless telephone to the pool, so children are not left unsupervised while answering a phone call.

Emphasis May Be Needed in These Areas to Help Prevent Drowning:

Keep children under a full eye.
Diving into water where the bottom cannot clearly be seen or the depth determined.
Swiming alone.
Swimming at night.
Swimming while under the influence of drugs and or alcohol.
Using hyperventilation to extend a breath-hold dive, see deep and shallow water blackout.
Relying on swimming aids as they may fail.
Playing games that will put your life, or others’, at risk.
Walking on ice unless it is known absolutely that the ice is thick enough over the entire route.
Be aware of your personal limits.
Swimming in cold water unless a fully cold-acclimatized and experienced winter swimmer.