feeling the sudden need to remind ppl that it is VERY easy to drown in still water like lakes and reservoirs! currents caused by the temperature difference between surface and deep water can pull you down with no warning! you can also tire quickly while swimming across!

Now that ppl are looking for new places to hang out outdoors I’ve see many tiktoks popping up about hiking/swimming spots that are “hidden” or “secret” (the algorithm shows me nj ones bc that’s where i live but i’m sure this is happening everywhere) please do your research!

just because someone makes a tiktok about a cool looking spot doesn’t mean it is safe (or legal) to go, let alone swim, there! PLEASE research before going to any hiking/swimming spot to inform yourself about the dangers/learn from past mistakes

just last week someone drowned in washington valley reservoir, a still and seemingly harmless spot where lots of teenagers swim and cliff jump every day. just because it looks safe and other people are doing it does not mean it is safe!! you can be sucked under at any time

a couple weeks ago i saw a group of teens swimming across pine meadow lake at harriman, a spot where there have been at least FOUR previously recorded drownings, and one girl started to get tired and drown!! nobody in her group was strong enough to help her but luckily -

- someone else jumped in and helped her. point is: you can’t rely on the idea that others will be there to help you, or that you can just “float” if you get tired!

sorry this thread has just been me rambling but as a passionate hiker it makes me really scared and mad to see people treating lakes like pools. they aren’t!! and if u drown that sucks but what will suck more is the ppl around you having to live with the fact they couldn’t save u