Every Sunday, we will share a story of a non-fatal drowning, discuss where things went wrong, and give some pointers on how to prevent it from happening to the people you love. Thankfully, these stories have happy endings for those involved, but sadly, we lose too many people to drowning every year. We hope examining these real-life stories help put the dangers of water into perspective and help you introduce various principles of water safety to your family!
Sisters Makenzie and Virginia were out for a nice day of kayaking when they made a decision to sway from original plans to go see a waterfall. Quick changes led to Makenzie’s non-fatal drowning after successfully getting her little sister safely to shore.
Makenzi sounds like a strong woman, able to keep her cool in an emergency to get her little sister to safety and then battle for her life after a drowning. How did this beautiful day turn into such an emergency so quickly? The article mentions that excess rain caused the water to be stronger, which is very true. It is always important to acknowledge nature and to think about weather during and before your water experience. Rain can really change the levels and nature of water for a while after the rainfall itself is over. It also sounds like the girls had left that day with a plan, which their father knew of, (Good job ladies!) but they veered off course to see a waterfall. This change in course may have opened opportunities for danger, if the girls weren’t used to that particular area or hadn’t prepared for the change in water circumstances that this change in course led them to. Always be aware that with natural bodies of water changes can happen quickly from one day to the next and within a moment. There are just so many factors that effect natural bodies of water.
We are so glad these sisters both survived their experience and will be able to hit the water in their kayaks again soon. Have fun, be safe, and be aware of quick changes in the water!
