It's tempting to cool off in a lake or river this weekend, but public health officials say a lot of swimmers aren't aware that taking a dip this time of year can be dangerous.
Lifeguards aren't on duty in Seattle parks until the end of June.
"The weather this year has been amazing, it keeps getting better," said Sam Buck, who was swimming with his 5-year-old son, Warren, at Mount Baker Beach, Saturday.
Like a lot of parents, he made sure to keep a close eye on his child.
The Washington State Drowning Prevention Network wants swimmers to know that water in lakes and rivers can still be quite chilly this time of year, even when it's sunny and the air is warm.
Even experienced swimmers can get into trouble, especially teens.
"That age group and we did see like 13 males compared to two females drown last year," said Tony Gomez, Manager of Injury Prevention for Public Health Seattle-King County. "We call them the young invincibles. They think it's not going to happen to them."
There were 15 drowning deaths last year. Nine occurred in open water.
"And it was determined that if life jackets had been worn, eight of those nine people who drowned in open water would have probably survived," said Gomez.
