Officials warn of swimming dangers ahead of holiday weekend

Water Safety

Q13 Fox News

SEATTLE -- Authorities say there were 14 drownings in Washington state during the first two weeks of the month, and they worry this holiday weekend could be deadly, too, as temperatures are expected to be in 80s and 90s.

King County sheriff's Sgt. Charlie Akers said, "It’s very clear that people don’t respect the power of the water, whether it’s the movement of the water or the coldness. People just don’t respect that."

Authorities say over half of the state's drownings occur in open water, not swimming pools. Officials say you should always wear a life jacket on Washington's lakes or rivers.

It's also never a good idea to swim more than 50 feet from the shore or 10 feet from a boat.

Akers said, "If somebody is swimming out there, their heads look very small, especially if there is any chop in the water. It’s really easy to have someone get run over by a boat."

Akers hopes people listen to the warnings before hitting the water this holiday weekend.

"The last thing I want to do is have to go recover someone from the bottom of the lake, especially if it’s a child," Akers said.

Officials say the odds of drowning at a beach with a life guard present are very slim.