Expert: Cold lakes, ponds killers in early hot weather

CANTON, Mass. — It is nearly 80 degrees at Houghton’s Pond Monday. The water temperature is probably closer to 50. That difference can lead to deadly consequences this time of year.

Susan Perry, aquatics manager for the Town of Westwood, thinks cold water certainly had something to do with the apparent drowning of two young boys in Brockton Saturday night. Authorities also pulled a man’s body from the water behind the Wachusett Reservoir Dam last Friday.

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“With extremely cold water, you get that gasp where you can’t breathe, your heart rate speeds up and you almost...you are unable to help yourself,” Perry said. “The best of swimmers it will happen to. No one is safe when it comes to extremely cold water and sudden immersion.”

What is considered too cold to swim for most people? It’s surprisingly warm sounding.

“The competitive swimmer at some of the larger pools, their ideal temperature is 78 degrees,” Perry said.

Westwood High keeps its pool at 82 degrees because infants and older residents tend to have trouble staying warm.

“If we get much below 80, they start to say that it feels a little cold,” Perry said.

At least pools have their temperature regulated. Lakes and ponds, on the other hand, are wholly dependent on the weather to warm up. Which is why late spring becomes a dangerous time to swim, especially in the northern U.S. when it’s not uncommon to see nights dip into the 40s.

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Perry said it’s important to remember, as well, that ‘No Swimming’ signs mean don’t go in the water, and usually, it’s for a safety reason – perhaps the grade of the lake floor drops off sharply. In Brockton, those signs were posted at the entrance to D.W. Field Park, but not anywhere near the area where the boys went in.

Perry said the standard rule is if you can’t see the bottom, you can’t determine safety and you shouldn’t go in. She also said it’s crucial that nobody go into the water alone – any body of water, even a pool.

Cox Media Group