Safety at top of mind for Labor Day weekend after multiple drownings at Lewisville Lake this summer
LEWISVILLE (CBSNewsTexas.com) - Thousands of North Texas families are heading to the lake this Labor Day weekend for some fun in the sun, but one popular swim beach on Lewisville Lake will remain closed after multiple drownings.
"The weather is great," said Maria Velandia, who comes to Lewisville Lake Park every Labor Day Weekend. "Not that hot, not that cold so it's perfect for swimming and sitting around."
Velandia says she made sure to go online before arriving to make sure this part of the park was still open.
"We were a little confused why it was closed because normally it's all open on Labor Day Weekend."
Metal fencing and warning signs surround a lakefront portion of Lake Park in Lewisville.
"We're getting ready for the onslaught of people who are going to come out to the park for celebrating Labor Day Weekend," said Lewisville Parks and Recreation Director Stacie Anaya. "This has been a swim beach for a long time, so that's obviously why we needed to be pretty emphatic about it being closed."
After two fatal drownings there at the beginning of August, the City of Lewisville cut off public access to the swim beach.
Anaya says lower lake levels are partly to blame for creating unsafe conditions.
"The deeper parts of the lake are a lot more accessible to people coming out to swim and it just makes it a little more dangerous," Anaya said.
Park staff and Lewisville police will be at the park patrolling this weekend and directing families to safer areas to swim.
"We want everybody to have fun," said Anaya. "We want everybody to return home safely."
Every drowning on Lewisville Lake this summer has had one thing in common – none of the victims were wearing life jackets.
"You get out there, it's a big body of water," said Anaya. "It's not like swimming in a pool. There's not an edge to get to pretty quickly."
It's the most important thing you can either borrow or bring out to the lake this weekend, whether you're going to be swimming from the shore or heading out on a boat.
"You can't control the other boaters, but you can control the boat that you're in," said Sydney Hurst with MarineMax. "Look around, check your surroundings. Is there a boat driving next to me? Am I a safe distance away from a boat?"
Hurst says it's important to prepare ahead of time by checking to make sure your boat has gas, the batteries are charged, and all equipment is operating normally.
"We've seen people not being careful before, but we're always careful," Velandia said.
Bring plenty of water and life jackets for everyone on board. By law, children 12 and under are required to wear them while on board.
"Regardless of how good of a swimmer you are, you need to be wearing a life jacket," Anaya said.
By taking these steps, you can help ensure everyone can make happy memories on the water this weekend.
"This is a great place to go and relax when you have those days off with your family," Hurst said.
