Parents urged to teach kids about water safety after teen drowns in Cedar Park
CEDAR PARK, Texas - A 15-year-old boy drowned in the water behind the Twin Lakes YMCA on Saturday.
First responders said the teen was having trouble staying above water after jumping from a cliff with friends.
"I want to take this opportunity to express our deepest sympathies to the family. This is a horribly tragic incident, and we are doing everything we can to work with the family and provide support in this horrible incident," said Lt. Justin Miller, with the Cedar Park Police Department.
MORE: Teen boy drowns in lake in Cedar Park: police
The Texas Game Wardens released the following statement:
"During the evening of June 1, Texas Game Wardens responded to assist the Cedar Park Police (CPP), the Williamson County Sheriff's Office (WCSO), Cedar Park Fire Department and the Georgetown Fire Department Dive Team with a drowning at Twin Lakes Park. Witnesses reported that the juvenile victim was having trouble staying above water after jumping from a cliff with friends. The WCSO Dive Team recovered the victim.
No further details are available at this time. CPP is the lead agency moving forward.
Our thoughts are with the victim’s family and loved ones during this difficult time."
The YMCA of Central Texas released a statement that reads:
"We are heartbroken and grieve this tragic loss of life within our community. The YMCA of Central Texas takes the matters of water safety and awareness seriously, and we continue to work with the Cedar Park Police Department in its investigation. It is important to clarify this incident did not occur within our facility but at an adjacent lake not designated for public swimming. The lakes at Twin Lakes Park are used exclusively for YMCA sanctioned and lifeguard-supervised programs that are scheduled during specific days and times. All participants are required to wear personal flotation devices before entering the water."
Tips to prevent child heatstroke
On average, 37 children die in hot cars each year in the U.S., according to noheatstroke.org. In over half of these cases, the caregiver forgot the child was in the car. Safe Kids Austin, along with its partner, The Texas Heat Stroke Task Force, is working to address myths and provide prevention tips to keep kids safe.
Kori Delapena, executive director of Live Like Cati, lost her six-year-old daughter to drowning five years ago at a summer camp.
"My first thing is to give condolences to the parents," she said.
Delapena now focuses on water education and advocacy.
"It can happen in 30 seconds, drowning is one of those things that is 100 percent preventable," she said.
She says it's important to tell your kids about water safety when they're young. If they can't swim in a pool, they should have a U.S. Coast Guard-certified life jacket. Open water is a much more unpredictable environment.
"It doesn't matter how old you are, how great of a swimmer you are, if you are going to open water, always, always, and this is for littles, and grown men and grown women, always wear a life jacket," she said.
Delapena adds that parents shouldn't be distracted when their children are in the water.