How to safely enjoy Lake Erie

Summer at the beach

It's summer the kids are out of school, and on the hot humid days, everyone wants to go to the beach. In Cleveland, we have several beaches to choose from Edgewater and Huntington to the west, Euclid, Sims, and Headlands beaches to the east.

Each has its amenities and all have one thing in common - they can be dangerous if you don’t respect Lake Erie.

As the shallowest and warmest of the Great Lakes, she is inviting yet also dangerous. These dangers increase in the African American community where according to a recent USA Swimming Foundation nationwide study “64 percent of African American children cannot swim; compared to 45 percent of Hispanic children and 40 percent of Caucasians.”

There are many reasons for this disparity and unfortunately, are a direct result of systemic racism. With a lack of facilities available to our parents and grandparents, 78 percent of African Americans have parents with no or low swimming skills resulting in our children being less likely to have proficient swimming abilities.

Further, African-American children ages 5 to 19 drown in swimming pools at rates 5.5 times higher than Caucasian children in the same age range.

Let's ensure we don’t contribute negatively to these statistics by heeding the tips for you to enjoy the water safely this summer:

  1. Know your capabilities. If you have not received formal water safety and swimming lessons stay close to the shore and do not venture out into the Lake. Swimming in open bodies of water involves a lot of risks not found in pools.
  2. Inexperienced swimmers should wear U.S. Coast Guard-approved life jackets
  3. No Swimming When Red Beach Flags Are Posted Due to Weather/Safety Conditions - these postings alert you to any unsafe matter in the water and if the water is too choppy for safe enjoyment
  4. Never leave children unattended near water
  5. Always swim with someone else
  6. Obey lifeguard instructions
  7. Do not swim in unauthorized areas
  8. Don’t swallow the water. (Water can contain germs that can make you sick if swallowed.)
  9. Keep sand away from your mouth and children’s mouths. (Sand can contain germs that can make you sick if swallowed.)
  10. Every hour children should be removed from the water to rest and use the restroom, preventing the release of bodily functions in the water.

If you follow these rules brought to you by the Cleveland Metroparks and the Centers for Disease Control you will have a fun and safe summer enjoying one of nature's greatest assets.