SACRAMENTO COUNTY, Calif. — Triple-digit temperatures are heading to Northern California, but while cooling off at a pool or lake sounds like the perfect remedy, new data could have some thinking twice.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said July has the highest number of drownings. According to CDC data, the month of July has seen the highest number of unintentional drowning deaths since 2018.
The CDC said nearly 800 people died last year from an accidental drowning. In total, the U.S. sees more than 4,00 deaths from drownings each year.
"Rivers that we are often very familiar with have changed, and they are much higher risk this year than they have been in years past," Zachary Corbo told ABC10.
A combination of warmer temperatures and historic snowfall is creating the perfect recipe for dangerous water conditions in rivers at a time when people are looking for ways to cool off.
"With the amount of rain and precipitation that we had this winter, it's created a lot of hazards that shown up that were not here last year," said Captain Nick Salas with Cal Fire told ABC10.
"On average, we lose three to four people here at the confluence every year to drowning, and it's because people get in and they don't understand the area they're getting into. They're not protecting themselves," said Sgt. Kevin Griffiths, with the Placer County Sheriff's Office.
Recently, local communities have been struck with tragedy, people of all ages losing their lives to drowning, including 19-year-old Mehki Clay. Clay drowned in Jenkinson Lake while on a camping trip in El Dorado County.
Even at a pool, officials say people shouldn't let their guard down. The CDC said drowning is the leading cause of death for children between the ages of one and four.
To prevent drownings, people can install alarms and fences around pools and assigned to watch swimmers at all times.
Knowing how to swim is also important. 64% of Black children have few to no swimming skills, compared to 45% of Hispanic children and 40% of white children.
Children in households with incomes less than $50,000 are most at-risk as well.
"Follow the rules, be safe about it, know your limitations... if you don't know how to swim, don't get in the water. it's a simple as that," Alexandria Britton, spokesperson for the Merced County Sheriff's Office, told ABC-affiliate KFSN.
Wearing bright swimsuits and using lifejackets are a must around bodies of water. In Sacramento County, wearing a lifejacket is required for children 12 and under. Many Sacramento County parks allow people to borrow them for free.
For a list of locations, click HERE.
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