By MATT LINDSEY

Several people have drowned around the state this summer, but beach officials and lifeguards around St. Lawrence County took precautions to help prevent it from happening locally.

Last year, two St. Lawrence County residents drowned swimming and a six-year old girl died in 2012 too. Roderick F. Brown, 56, drowned July 5, 2016, while swimming with two friends in the river, according to state police. On Aug. 9, 2016, Angelina M. Jarrett, 8, Potsdam, was found at Norwood Beach by lifeguards submerged in about eight feet of water and not breathing. Angel Sochia, 6, Brasher Falls girl died following an accidental drowning Aug. 4, 2012, in Allens Falls Flow Reservoir, according to St. Lawrence County sheriff's deputies.

The Potsdam Recreation Department offers swim lessons as well as free swim time in the afternoon for area youngsters. Although there are no formal recreation programs in Canton or Norwood, safety measures are in place when large groups of kids are at the beach.

Fun is the goal, but safety is priority. Keeping an eye on dozens of children in the water can be tasking.

Canton town and village recreation director Caitlyn Boreyko said they had “two saves – simple assists” this year at the beach. “Kids went in too deep or lost their footing,” she said.

Even though they have had a “pretty safe year” so far, Michelle Garrow, who serves as the aquatics instructor for beaches in Potsdam, Norwood and Hannawa Falls, wants to warn swimmers of all ages about the dangers of swimming.

Beach Rules

Around 200 children attend the Potsdam rec. program in total, some learning how to swim and others just there for fun in the sun.

“We always have a buddy system whenever we have a large group under our supervision,” said Michelle Garrow, who serves as the aquatics instructor for both the Potsdam and Norwood recreation programs.

Children are paired up and are asked to stay with their “buddy” for the day are supposed to let a lifeguard know if they cannot find their buddy.

“Buddy checks are done every 15 minutes,” Garrow said.

Should parents want to use personal flotation devices, such as lifejackets or “arm floaties,” they need to accompany their child into the water,”Garrow said. The same protocol is followed in Canton.

“Water-wings are not meant to be live saving,” Boryeko said. “If someone has (a personal flotation device) they are not allowed in the deeper area of the beach,” she said.

Potsdam has around 23 lifeguards split between beaches at Pine Street and Postwood. They work in short shifts of 15 to 30 minutes, depending on the weather.

“We talk with guards and see what they feel – we don't want them getting dehydrated or get heat exhaustion,” Garrow said.

Although there is no formal recreation program in Canton, the beach still requires over a dozen lifeguards to ensure safety. There are six full-time lifeguards at the Canton beach with seven substitutes. Three are on duty at all times with 20-minute rotations.

In Canton, anyone under age 18 is required to pass a swim test before going past the rope into waters deeper than three feet.

“They are required to swim the width of the swim area twice,” Boreyko said. “There is no touching the bottom or assistance allowed – they also have to tread water for 30 seconds.”

Swim Safety

“Know your abilities – don't be pressured into deeper water and always swim with a buddy,” Garrow said. “You never know when something medical could happen, or you get a cramp or get out deeper than you expected.”

Garrow said she has a pool at home and the rules are the same there. “I make sure someone else is there with me,” she said. “My kids are not allowed on the deck without supervision.

If you are struggling in the water, Boreyko recommends that swimmers try to roll on their back to float. “Keep calm, try to breathe to help keep afloat and assess the situation to call for help,” Boreyko said.

Boreyko said it is ok to have feet dangling down, you only need to keep your chest and face above the water level.

Boreyko agreed with Garrow that no one should swim alone. “Avoid it,” she said.

Garrow encourages people to get out and take advantage of the many different swimming areas in the North Country.

“With as much water as we have around here – take advantage – also take advantage of a swimming program,” Garrow said.

Swimming programs in Potsdam range from parent-tot all the way up to adult swimming lessons. People are screened for their swimming level and place in an appropriate program.

Canton offers swim lessons as well, for four weeks, that begin each year in early July. The average age swimmers are 4-11, but adults would not be turned away, Boreyko said.

Although there is no formal recreation program in Norwood, Garrow said that when large groups from in from schools, they have students take swimming test in order to be able to go into the deeper part of the beach. They also use the buddy system when there are large groups of children attending the beach.

Garrow said that Potsdam does not turn any child away (regardless of township) that wishes to participate in the program. For a small donation, kids can attend for about six weeks and participate in a variety of games, activities, themed-crafts, and of course swimming.

Lifeguard Training

When on duty, lifeguards are looking for a swimmer who is submerged, horseplay and children who may be inching out too deep or have lost their footing. “Anything out of the ordinary – or a distressed swimmer,” are what lifeguards are trained to watch for,” Garrow said.

Boreyko says lifeguards are taught the difference between watching over a pool and watching over a beach.

How to enter the water, search methods and boat rescue situations were examples of differences. “For a pool … you jump in … with the river there is a current to consider,” Boreyko said.

Lifeguards in Potsdam and Norwood receive around 35 hours of training initially, on top of annual CPR training, in-service training and endurance training and drills.

Recently, lifeguards and recreation program participants in Potsdam learned about the Heimlich maneuver, when to call for 911 and other safety skills from the Potsdam Rescue Squad.

“We taught them that instead of trying to go into the water to help their brother or sister from drowning, to throw them something they can grab onto,” Garrow said.

Canton lifeguards receive American Red Cross training, which is renewed every two years. They also are required to keep CPR and AED certifications updated annually.