OPINION: Urgent need to be serious about water safety

Drowning accidents are inevitable in warm-weather states like South Carolina, we suppose, but we think there’s an urgent need to be more serious about water safety.
State Rep. Wendell Gilliard, D-Charleston, presented a plan last week to require two years of swimming for students to graduate from high school.
The bill would require public schools to provide instruction if there is a public pool within 10 miles of the school district. Students who prove they can swim would not have to take the lessons.
A major stumbling block remains funding for the classes, but we challenge lawmakers and school administrators to bring Gilliard’s idea to fruition.
Most school districts in the Pee Dee do not have swimming pools. Many do not have pools within 10 miles of the school. But it seems swimming and water safety could be a part of physical education classes, with or without a pool.
In disagreeing with Gilliard’s proposal, many have argued schools are not a substitute for parents. Schools pushed too far beyond the mission of academic instruction, critics say.
Hogwash.
Learning to swim is the same as learning to play volleyball in PE or learning how to use a Bunsen Burner in science. The skill just requires a teacher. There’s no reason to dismiss the thought of mandatory swimming just because it has not been done previously.
The issue has jumped high on our list of priorities after drowing deaths in the Pee Dee and in the state’s Lowcountry.
A Bishopville man drowned in a Florence motel pool and a Marion man died in the Little Pee River in the past two weeks.
The ocean and area lakes, pools and watering holes have been a magnet for swimmers this weekend. Temperatures were near or above 100 degrees throughout the Pee Dee on Friday and Saturday. If you’re going to be near water or in the sun, be careful. If you don’t know how to swim, you’re risking a tragic accident by jumping in the water.
The hot weather brings concerns about heat-related issues. Heat exhaustion and strokes are common, but they’re as preventable as swimming tragedies.
Here are some suggestions from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the federal agency focused on weather conditions, on dealing with the heat:
—  Increase your intake of non-alcoholic, non-carbonated, caffeine-free beverages such as water and juice. Wear clothing that is light in color and loose fitting.
—  Avoid the outdoors during extreme heat. Stay out of the sun.
—  Stay in an air-conditioned environment if possible. Shopping malls offer relief if your home is not air-conditioned.
—  Check on the elderly. They are especially susceptible to heat-related illness.
—  Eliminate strenuous activity such as running, biking and lawn care work when it heats up.
—  Eat fewer foods that increase metabolic activity/heat. Proteins are an example. Increased metabolic heat increases water loss.
No one can remember the exhaustive list of recommendations. Just pick the ones that apply to you.
The sun and surf are two of life’s greatest pleasures. Be smart and prevent tragedy from spoiling them.

— Unsigned editorials represent the views of this newspaper. Editorial board members are Mark Laskowski (regional publisher), James Bennett (regional editor), Sam Bundy (sports editor), Kimberly Ginfrida (news editor), David Johnson (regional circulation director), Charles Tomlinson (Lake City News & Post editor) and Jackie Torok (metro editor).