Tulare County officials warn of water dangers after 4 rescues in one week

TULARE COUNTY, Calif. (KFSN) -- In just one week, the Tulare County Sheriff's Office has responded to 4 water-rescue calls.

The latest was on Thursday, when a 9-year-old girl was pulled out of Lake Kaweah.

"These four incidents in a week period are very concerning for the sheriff's office as we are barely getting into summertime and we still have a long hot summer ahead of us," explains Sgt. Brad McLean, with TCSO Swift Water and Dive Rescue Team.

McLean reminds people who plan on heading out to enjoy local waterways that the number one priority should be practicing water safety.

"So we are trying to emphasize being safe, wearing life jackets and parental supervision in and around waterways," explains Sgt. McLean.

Preventative measures also include being mindful of water currents and knowing the area where you are swimming.

Staying hydrated and not drinking alcohol is also advised.

Plus, local experts say professional swim lessons and proper CPR training could also help save a life.

"Early CPR is crucial and that is going to really improve the chances significantly of a meaningful recovery," says Dr. Khoa Tu, the Medical Director at Kaweah Health

He says every summer the hospital sees an uptick in drowning victims and survivors: "Every summer we see a lot of cases that come through."

But this is not an isolated problem.

"So nationally there are about 4,000 water deaths a year, especially so in California, where we see 1 in 4 drownings end up being fatal and the other three tend to have significant injuries like neurological deficiencies that actually occur with them too," explains Dr. Tu.

Kaweah Health is hosting a water safety pop-up event next Thursday at the Downtown Visalia Farmers Market.

They encourage people to stop by and learn more about water safety.

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