Six teens drown trying to save each other from Red River sinkhole

[Kalicokitty]

This is such a tragedy, and even more so because it never had to happen.
A family of over 20 at a picnic, and not one of them could swim.
If only one person in this family had known how to swim, this all could have been prevented.

It's almost a cultural thing with African Americans, most of them can't swim, I know none of my black friends can. They joke about it too, not so funny now.

Please people, learn to swim if you don't know how, one day it could save your life, or lives of others.

"SHREVEPORT, La. — Six teenagers from at least two families drowned in the Red River in northwest Louisiana after they stepped off a ledge from shallow water into a 18-foot sinkhole Monday, fire officials said.
Shreveport Fire Chief Brian Crawford told the Shreveport Times that the victims, aged 13 to 18, had drowned while trying to save each other. Only one, a 14-year-old, was rescued.
Emergency crews on both sides of the river responded to reports of a single person drowning before 6:30 p.m., just south of the area in Charles and Marie Hamel Memorial Park. It took fire officials about 10 minutes to locate the sinkhole, and that's when they learned there were multiple victims."


None could swim
Marilyn Robinson, a friend of the families, watched helplessly as the children, five boys and a girl, went under, the Times reported.
"None of us could swim," the 38-year-old told the newspaper. "They were yelling 'help me, help me. Somebody please help me.' It was nothing I could do but watch them drown one by one."


Damn, at the very least learn to dog paddle, this was so senseless, stupid, and unnecessary.


Whole story
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/38533071/ns/us_news-life?GT1=43001

 

[THC123]

It's almost a cultural thing with African Americans, most of them can't swim,

get the fuck outta here , lol , i have ONE american friend from texas and he happens to be black lol(I'm in Europe) and he also can't swim , what are the odds ,

He also told me something like that and i thought he was joking


how is that lol?

 

[blackburngrower]

madness in this day and age ppl not being able to swim

 

[The Hummus Monk]

Human body naturally floats...

 

[Japanfreakier]

When I read this I thought Kalico was full of shit at first so I checked, turns out he's right.

"Nearly 60 percent of African-American children cannot swim, almost twice the figure for white children, according to a first-of-its-kind survey which USA Swimming hopes will strengthen its efforts to lower minority drowning rates and draw more blacks into the sport.

Stark statistics underlie the initiative by the national governing body for swimming. Black children drown at a rate almost three times the overall rate. And less than 2 percent of USA Swimming's nearly 252,000 members who swim competitively year-round are black."

I have to assume it's a class thing.

 

[THC123]

class?

 

[ixnay007]

Yeah, everyone should learn how to do the deadman float.

 

[ixnay007]

class?

Rich vs poor and their access to swimming facilities, obviously.

 

[Green lung]

get the fuck outta here , lol , i have ONE american friend from texas and he happens to be black lol(I'm in Europe) and he also can't swim , what are the odds ,

He also told me something like that and i thought he was joking


how is that lol?

Well it comes from a history of mostly living in urban cities, no pools, lakes ponds and such. They don't need to tan so you you don't see them at the beach either. Black americans arn't generally outdoorsiy folks.

 

[SuperSizeMe]

Human body naturally floats...

Not when it panics

 

[Japanfreakier]

class?

As in upper class and lower class.

 

[THC123]

OW K got ya, yeah here we don't have such a big diff as in the US so i was like wtf is he talking bout

 

[Kalicokitty]

YMCA
they are in every neighborhood, rich and poor.
They give memberships away for next to nothing($10 a month) to low income families.
This is where all my brothers and sisters and I learned to swim from the time we were little kids.

 

[Japanfreakier]

I've actually been to one of those before

 

[weedobix]

Shit, thats insane. im in the UK, when we went to school we were made to swim, and if you couldn't you'd be subject to endless ridicule, you'd learn real fast. It's not exactly hard is it, it's almost like not learning to run. I guess living on an island is different to the inner city but it's still crazy.

 

[Japanfreakier]

Here in Japan all the schools have swimming pools and the children learn but I don't ever remember there being mandatory swimming lessons in the States but all my friends had swimming pools and or boats so it didn't seem odd at the time.

 

[big ballin 88]

Sad thing is its truth. There was recently a death by me. Guy was running from the cops, and jumped into a canal and ended up drowning. i used to be a lifeguard so this kinda gets to me. If people would just learn to swim...Down here swimming lessons are free since were literally surrounded by water everywhere...

 

[OrganicOzarks]

THis just reminds me of a ball busting session with a friend of mine. I always ask him if he wants to go camping or swimming. He obviously says no. "Black People don't do that shit." It's so true. He is funny as fuck.

 

[Kalicokitty]

Shit, thats insane. im in the UK, when we went to school we were made to swim, .

You know what?
It should be taught in school as part of gym class, and be mandatory for all.
It is such a critical skill to have.

 

[SuperSizeMe]

Here in Japan all the schools have swimming pools and the children learn but I don't ever remember there being mandatory swimming lessons in the States but all my friends had swimming pools and or boats so it didn't seem odd at the time.

In elementary school, we were taken to our local HS and taught to swim.This took place from grades 1-4.

I thought it was common practice throughout the US...guess not.

Shame