Minnesota
Why drownings are on the rise and how to swim safely this summer in Minnesota
With summer ramping up just as much of Minnesota is dealing with high water, it’s as good a time as any to remember how to stay safe in the water — especially because drownings have increased both nationally and in the state in recent years.
Just Wednesday, a 27-year-old man drowned in the St. Croix River near the beach in Afton State Park, according to the Washington County Sheriff’s Office.
If you think you’ll be in or around water over the July 4th holiday weekend and beyond, here’s what to know about water safety.
Drownings have increased
From 2010 to 2019, Minnesota averaged about 36 non-boating drownings a year, according to data from the Department of Natural Resources. In the four years since, however, the annual average has jumped to 45.
Fifty-three drownings were recorded in 2021 alone, the highest annual number since 2001, according to DNR data.
The country also saw a hike in drownings starting in 2020. Earlier this year, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said the United States registered about 500 more drownings than 2019 each year from 2020 through 2022.
Lisa Dugan, boat and water safety outreach coordinator for the DNR, said the statewide increase is likely the result of more people spending time in the water. People had more free time during the pandemic, they had less access to swimming lessons and there were fewer lifeguards on duty.
“Beaches were definitely busy during those summers,” she said.
As of June 30, the DNR reported 13 non-boat drownings in Minnesota so far this year, a number more comparable to pre-pandemic years.
Drownings are silent, not loud and splashy
Drownings can happen within seconds and often unfold silently, according to the CDC. When someone is struggling in the water, their hands are busy trying to keep their head above water, Dugan said. You might be able to see just the tip of their nose and mouth at the surface.
“It’s really important for people to understand that downing can look different than people think that it does,” Dugan said.
Kids need supervision and life jackets
Dugan and other safety advocates emphasize that young children need to be supervised by a distraction-free adult.
“Even if there is a lifeguard on duty, there should always be a responsible adult who has their eyes on the water at all times,” Dugan said.
And it’s the law in Minnesota for children under age 10 on a boat to wear to wear a life jacket. Dugan and others stress that floaties — inflated swimming aids — aren’t enough to keep a child safe. They can easily slip off accidentally, be removed by children themselves and are not U.S. Coast Guard-approved flotation devices.
The life jacket requirement may not extend to adults, but Dugan said she sees examples every year of adults jumping off boats and not resurfacing. She warns people not to rely solely on their swimming ability.
“If you’re jumping off a boat, if you’re in water over your head, throw on a life jacket,” she said.
It also helps to swim with a buddy, stay in designated swimming areas and to avoid alcohol before going into the water, according to Dugan and the Red Cross. Alcohol is a typical factor in drownings in Minnesota, especially those occurring around July 4.
Following intense rainfall in June, Minnesota is seeing high water levels. That means faster currents.
“Maybe choose a different location until that water level recedes a bit,” Dugan said.
Rip currents are powerful, narrow currents that flow away from shore, posing a danger to swimmers. They occur on beaches with breaking waves, such as Lake Superior.
If caught in a rip current, don’t swim against it in the direction of the shore, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration advises. Instead, you can either relax — rip currents do not pull you under the water — or swim out of the current by moving parallel to the shoreline, according to officials. If you can’t escape, float or tread water.
Free swimming lessons
The YMCA of the North, the city of St. Paul and Hennepin County are among the many places that offer free swimming opportunities to children.
Minnesota weather forecast. (FOX 9)
MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) – Most of Minnesota will be under a marginal risk of severe weather on Thursday, with rain and rumbles expected.
Thursday weather forecast
Local perspective:
A line of storms is expected to develop in west-southwest Minnesota on Thursday and grow in coverage as well as intensity tracking east into the early evening.
Large hail and damaging winds are the prevalent threats, but an isolated tornado is also possible along the line.
Isolated showers are expected to form in the western part of Minnesota on Thursday morning.
Rain chances in the Twin Cities area increase in the afternoon, as a line pushes through with possible thunderstorms.
Stay Sky Aware with FOX 9 for the latest.
The Source: This story uses information from the FOX 9 weather forecast.
A TikTok creator is no longer banned from parks in St. Paul, Minnesota, after appealing the city’s restriction, according to his agent.
St. Paul Parks and Recreation Director Andy Rodriguez earlier this month accused Josh Liljenquist of going to Pig’s Eye Park to “harass, record and profit from vulnerable adults residing there without said individuals’ permission.” Liljenquist, who is known for giving away food and cash in his videos, denied the allegation.
On Wednesday, Liljenquist’s agent shared a new letter from the city.
“Based on an evaluation of the facts of this situation as they were relayed during your appeal meeting, I will be rescinding your ban from our parks, effective immediately,” the letter from Rodriguez read.
Rodriguez also wrote the city expects “all residents and visitors to our parks to abide by the rules.”
“Our responsibility is to ensure park spaces remain safe, respectful, and accessible for all, and we appreciate your partnership in that effort,” the letter read.
Liljenquist told WCCO he has only recorded at Pig’s Eye Park once, and it was with the Ramsey County Sheriff’s Office’s consent. He said he and his videographer always get consent from individuals they film, too.
Local organizations that work with people experiencing homelessness are split on Liljenquist’s impact. Sue Phillips, director of the Metropolitan Interfaith Council on Affordable Housing, said his content “is exploiting people experiencing homelessness/housing instability.” Feeding St. Paul founder Michael Brendale, on the other hand, said, “Josh has changed many lives, taken people off the streets.”
Liljenquist told WCCO he films his efforts instead of making them private in hopes of “inspiring other people to do it, showing that it doesn’t take a lot of money, it doesn’t take a lot of resources to go out there and do something for somebody.”
The National Weather Service confirmed that at least five tornadoes touched down in southeastern Minnesota on Friday, including four that hit Olmsted County. At least another three twisters were confirmed in southwestern Wisconsin.
The NWS was still analyzing data and other information to determine if more tornadoes occurred in the area.
The storms started Friday afternoon, with the first tornado touching down north of Sargeant in Mower County around 1:45 p.m. The short-lived EF0, with top wind speeds of 80 mph, traveled about 3 miles northeast into rural Dodge County near the unincorporated town of Oslo. It lasted for about five minutes in total, the weather service says, and caused minor damage to a grain silo before dissipating.
A new tornado formed a few minutes later, less than a mile away south of Oslo. The storm was also considered an EF0, with wind speeds around 80 mph. Lasting less than 10 minutes, it traveled 4 miles into Olmsted County, causing light damage to farm outbuildings and trees.
The line of storms seemed to pick up intensity as it entered Olmsted County.
Around 2:17 p.m., the EF2 tornado that would later hit Marion Township first touched down just northeast of Stewartville. The weather service estimates that the twister had wind speeds of about 130 mph and traveled nearly 10 miles northeast, before dissipating around 2:31 p.m. Multiple homes were severely damaged with roof removal and partially collapsed exterior walls.
An EF1 tornado was also confirmed to have hit near Potsdam around 2:30 p.m.
The first portion of the tornado was weak, the weather service said, with mainly EF0 damage. On the second portion of the 12-mile track, the tornado intensified to produce approximately 100 mph winds with tree and farm outbuilding damage. It lifted around 2:54 p.m.
A second EF2 tornado was confirmed in Olmsted County around 2:46 p.m. about 5 miles east-northeast of Viola and traveled about 7.5 miles, ending in Wabasha County, a few miles south of Plainview, around 3 p.m. Maximum wind speeds were around 125 mph. The storm affected mainly rural areas and damaged trees and outbuildings. One farmhouse lost a roof and a garage roof, the weather service said.
No injuries were reported in the Minnesota-Wisconsin outbreak.
Friday was a historic day for the NWS La Crosse office, which issued 26 tornado warnings – the most for any one day since the office opened in 1995.
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