Open Water Swimming Safety

As June arrives, the water temperature rises with the air and everyone is excited to get to the beach, go to the lake  and/or just get out in the open water and boat, swim, fish and play.  We triathletes wait all winter long swimming endless laps staring at a black line at the bottom of a 25 yd lane; back and forth, lap upon lap; it's mind numbing.  We long to get outside and escape the monotony.    Some of us visualize swimming on a surf board, we breath out... talking to the fish or various other mantras to keep our minds active and focus on our swimming to help pass the endless laps.  It seems though that at the beginning of every open water swim season we forget how vulnerable we as adults are in the water.  So, I thought I would tell a quick story of a serious situation that occurred today swimming and review some good water safety habits that EVERYONE, no matter how good of a swimmer you are, should practice. 

A bunch of triathletes, myself included, from a local triathlon club decided to meet at Kennebunk Pond for a Saturday morning swim.  We headed out early to beat the boat traffic that would be occurring on such a beautiful weekend.    We arrived just before 7 AM.   The air was brisk, with a slight breeze and the water was somewhat choppy.  The sun was low and glaring in the direction that we would be swimming in.  Between the choppiness of the water and the sun glare, the visibility, despite the clear air conditions, was not great.  The water temperature was a very comfortable 66 degrees -- remember we are all wearing wetsuits.   A group of us were going to head out to swim around an island in the middle which is just a hair over a mile swim (I was planning to do the loop a second time with a group arriving at 7:30).  Then there was another two swimmers that were going to be going to "the rock and back."  That distance was about half of going to the island and back.  One thing good we did was that we knew who was doing what -- supposedly... But in actuality, one of the swimmers was confused of the landmarks and distances and really planned on swimming out to the island and not just to the rock and back.  Her misunderstanding began with her thinking that the island was "the rock."   First big mistake: one, we didn't really discuss our specific route,  and two, what to sight for and landmarks to be watching for with everyone... A HUGE and potentially costly mistake.  Off we went.  I was swimming with the group going around the island and all was well.  On the back side of the island we stopped and talked amongst ourselves briefly about the route our swim line should take heading back.  Two of the swimmers weren't too familiar with  how shallow the rocks were and if you didn't position yourself well, you end up either kicking or scratching your hand on these big boulders underneath the surface of the water.   I led the swimmers around the island to head back to the beach.  When we circum-navigated around the island to head back to the beach and cove, where we had started at, we came upon the swimmer by herself that was going to just go to the rock and back.  It didn't really register with me at first because I was thinking that the swimmer that was going to the rock and back wouldn't be there because this swimmer was 1)alone and 2) gone a lot further than she had told us she was going to do.  Well, then I wasn't convinced that the swimmer was she  and this maybe another swimmer that might be doing her own thing.  Because, despite all these group swims we are involved in, we do all tend to do our own thing.  Not really a good philosophy or SAFE philosophy to have.  So here we are swimming back to the cove and the beach.  Just as we are heading into the cove we stopped and one of the swimmers said, "wait where did the other swimmer go?"  Ummmm.... none of us really knew.  "well wasn't she just doing the shorter rock and back swim?"  Apparently she changed her mind she joined us as we were coming back around the island.... "well where is she now?"  We all turned around and stared out at the water.  We couldn't see anyone, so we started swimming back to the rock and then to the island to look for her.  We were calling for her.  We could not see her or her green cap anywhere!  The water was choppy so we couldn't always see clearly.  We got about halfway out and still couldn't see her!!  We were all getting nervous.  Did she get out and take the road back?  WHERE IS SHE!!  Two of us swam back to shore and I told the others before heading for the shore that  I would go see if her car was still in the parking lot.  I sprinted back to the beach and told the two new swimmers coming in (the one's I was going to swim a second loop with) that we had lost a swimmer and what she was wearing: green cap, goggles, orca wetsuit.  I sprinted up the beach,  crossed the street and into the parking lot.  Her car was still there.  i was starting to get really nervous.  As I was running back to the beach I shouted to the swimmers in the water that her car was in fact there.  The other swimmers had already swam back to the island, grabbed a kayak and were paddling around, still no sign of her.  One of the really strong swimmers came in and yelled to call 911 as all the areas in and around the island where we had been swimming were checked and most of the area had been scanned.  We had sent another person up the camp roads to check and see if she was coming back by foot.  While on shore, I grabbed a cell phone and called 911.  By this point, we had 6 or so people in the water searching and people checking the roads that abut the water.  No one was coming up with her.  The dispatcher asked about how long since the last person had seen her...  As i glanced at my watch I choked up the reply -- 20 minutes....   The area we were looking in and swimming in was not that big!!  This was way too long for her!!  we were less than a half mile from shore when we last saw her.    She should have been back long by now!!  the dispatcher told me to stay on the line... "well i am going to give the phone to someone else... i am going back in the water with a partner to search way over on the left where we don't usually swim."  So i headed in with one of the guys and off we went out of the cove heading to the left.  As we got out and looked to the left, we saw a green cap.  I think that is her!!!   There she was!!!  We raced toward her.  "Are you alright???"    Her reply was that she was fine, she got disoriented, started to get  little cramps and panicky and floated on her back and then she didn't know where she was.  She said a boater asked her if she needed help and she asked where the beach was.  Well thank God we found her!  The Sheriff's department had already arrived but we could tell the dispatcher that she was found.  The sheriff took down her statement as to what happened and that she was fine. 

Today could have ended very tragically.  Even one of the other swimmers kidded to her afterwards saying, "boy, I thought that was the shortest friendship I would ever have."  All is well that ended well.  But, in all seriousness.  1) don't swim alone, have a buddy 2) know where you are going -- make sure everyone is clear on the landmarks, distances, sighting markings for heading out and returning on the swim 3) even if you have no hair or lots of hair, WEAR a Bright colored swim cap!!  This swimmer almost didn't swim with a cap and an extra was provided for her.  Had she not been wearing the cap, she would have been impossible to spot.  4)  Don't change plans for your swim or distance once you leave the beach and make sure you, yourself know the landmarks in case you do get separated. 5)  have a properly fitting wetsuit, goggles that fit tight and fog free--- in essence wear the proper equipment.  6) Make sure there is someone on shore that knows where you are going and your expected return  7)  on an organized large group swim, is to have  experienced kayakers present that have been trained in water rescue, that can spot the swimmers in the water and corral, direct and offer support as needed    and 8) consider swimming with a torpedo buoy for an emergency flotation device.  It is compact and a life saver if you get into trouble and there is no assistance nearby.