Heat wave brings continued worries about water safety

An unusual May heat wave has police and firefighters in western Washington warning about water safety.

On Monday morning, King County Sheriff’s deputies pulled the body of an 18-year-old man from Lake Sammamish, who drowned Sunday evening while swimming with friends.

Over the weekend, bystanders and firefighters saved a 14-year-old boy who was underwater in Seattle’s Green Lake.

And a close call sent rescuers to Angle Lake in SeaTac.

“We are just really urging people to be cautious in this weather,” said Catherine Breault of Eastside Fire and Rescue.

Water temperatures remain cold from snowmelt and many beaches are unguarded.

“When you say drowning, people don’t think it’s going to happen to them,” said Chezik Tsunoda, whose 3-year-old son, Yori, drowned in a pool in 2018.

Tsunoda the founder of No More Under to promote water safety.

“I originally started the organization to scream at the top of my lungs about drowning, I didn’t want it to happen to anyone else,” Tsunoda said.

Tsunoda made a film called Drowning in Silence, featuring families affected by an epidemic she says doesn’t get enough attention.

This year, she persuaded Washington legislators to pass Yori’s Law, encouraging water safety education.

She calls it a first step and wants to bring swim lessons to more children, including in communities where they might not have access.

“Even though we’re surrounded by water here, children are being left behind, and we need to fix it.”

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