Warmer weather means more people will be heading to the water to cool down.
Sometimes you can’t see the danger in the water, but public health officials say there are ways to help protect yourself and family when going for a swim this summer.
According to Greene County Public Health Officials, every day two children under 15-years-old die from drowning, and it is the leading cause of injury and death of kids between one and four-years-old.
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Additionally, mishandled pool chemicals lead to 4,500 U.S Emergency Department visits each year.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says that from 2015 to 2019, there were 200 outbreaks traced of cryptosporidium, a microscopic parasite that causes diarrhea, to pools, hot tubs and water playgrounds.
GCPH officials said you should not swim if you’ve been sick.
“Cryptosporidium is (one of) the primary illnesses, one of the most common recreational water born illness,” GCPH official Rick Schairbaum said.
Swimming where you’re not supposed to is also a big problem. Hidden debris in lakes, rivers and ponds can be dangerous or even deadly.
At Cedar Cliff Falls in Cedarville, illegal swimming and jumping has been a problem for years. Signs have been put up, and the landscape has even been cleared to make the area more visible from the road.
Rangers with Greene County Parks and Trails will hand out warnings or tickets to those they find illegally swimming and or jumping.
Another potential danger in the water is high levels of E.coli in bodies of water and algae blooms.
When headed to public beaches and lakes, check the water quality by visiting the Ohio Department of Health’s website and clicking on the BeachGaurd link.
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