Children's deaths serve as reminder of river dangers

MOUNT VERNON - The Fourth of July deaths of three children who drowned on the Iowa River are a sobering reminder that swimming in any river carries a real risk.

Marshalltown Police Chief Mike Tupper said the bodies of Lee Meh, 9, her 7-year-old brother, Sae Reh, and their cousin, Thay Mo, 7, were found Wednesday night.

The children became separated from others while swimming in the river in Marshalltown, about 50 miles northeast of Des Moines. Authorities searched for more than three hours before finding them.

Tupper said drought has left the river-ankle deep in some places, but that pockets remain where the water is more than 12 feet deep.

In Linn County, a one-mile stretch of the Cedar River has a well-known reputation as a risky spot for a swim.

The location is around the old roller dam at the Palisades-Kepler State Park near Mount Vernon. A Gazette archive search found 20 people have lost their lives on this short stretch of the river since the early 1960s. The most recent death happened in June 2011, when a man died while trying to rescue two children in trouble in the water.

On a hot weekday afternoon, Assistant Park Ranger Nick Rocca said, it's possible to find a crowd of about 200 people swimming in the river from a sandbar. But on Thursday, the number of swimmers and waders amounted to no more than a handful.

One frequent visitor, Cassandra Jones, said the drownings in Marshalltown are a wake-up call for safety. But she also said she personally felt safe in the river because she took precautions.

“I'm pretty lucky nothing has happened. I usually just sit with my friends hanging out in the water. We don't get super active out there,” Jones said.

The Iowa Department of Natural Resources can't prohibit swimming in the river, but that doesn't mean it's a good idea. Rocca said it can get frustrating trying to persuade people to stay out of the water.

“We never recommend swimming in the Cedar,” he said, adding, “We do have six signs along the park that go throughout this stretch of the river advising people the Cedar has dangerous currents.”

Rocca said rangers will occasionally walk the beach and warn people about the dangers. Some, he said, don't appreciate it.

Those out in the water on Thursday said they recognize the hazards of swift currents and sudden drop-offs, where the depth might go from knee deep to over a person's head with no warning.

And some have seen risky behavior.

Still, Kris Heaton, another frequent river user at Palisades-Kepler, said she feels confident that she understands the risks.

“You don't think about it if you've been doing it most of your life and you have friends around and available,” she said.

Right now, Rocca said, the segment of river that flows through the park is even more tempting - and potentially dangerous - than usual because low water levels have exposed more sandbars as beach areas.

But inviting or not, he said, it's not supervised swimming, and it's definitely not safe.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Safety tips

The deaths of three children while swimming in the Iowa River near Marshalltown are a grim reminder that it never hurts for adults and children to review tips for safe swimming - especially in Iowa's lakes and rivers.

• Learning to swim is the best thing anyone can do to stay safe in and around water.
• Never swim alone.
• Never leave children unsupervised in or near water.
• Pick a supervised area - even experienced swimmers can have unexpected emergencies, and a trained lifeguard who can help is the best safety factor.
• Use proper flotation devices, such as life jackets.
• Make sure the water is deep enough before diving in head first - too many swimmers are seriously injured every year by diving into water that is too shallow.
• Feet-first entries are much safer than diving.
• Never swim under a raft or dock, and make sure such structures are in good condition to avoid hazards such as loose boards or exposed nails.
• Always look before jumping off a dock or raft to be sure no one is in the way.
• Pick areas that have good water quality and safe natural conditions because murky water, hidden underwater objects, unexpected drop-offs and aquatic plants are hazards.
• Strong tides, big waves and currents can turn an outing that started as fun into a tragedy.
• Don't swim under the influence of drugs or alcohol, or during thunderstorms.

Sources: American Red Cross and livestrong.com / Curated by Terry Coyle, The Gazette

Drowning facts

• 39 percent of the drownings in Iowa from 1998 to 2005 happened on rivers.
• 98 percent of the victims were not wearing life jackets.
• 43 percent of drownings happen in a natural body of water such as a river, lake or ocean.
• Drowning is the second leading cause of unintentional death for children ages 1 to 14 years, and fifth leading cause for people of all ages.

Sources: Iowa Department of Natural Resources and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention