2010 — Aug 2, Drownings, non-swimmer teens, two families; Red River, Shreveport, LA– 6
–6 ABC News. “6 Teens Drown While Wading in Louisiana’s Red River.” 8-3-2010.
–6 CNN. “Six teens drown in Shreveport’s Red River.” 8-3-2010.
Narrative Information
ABC News: “Six teenagers from two families drowned Monday [Aug 2] in Shreveport, La.’s Red River while trying to save a friend who had slid into deeper waters. Those who drowned were the Warners: Takeitha, 13; and her brothers, JaMarcus, 14; and JaTavious, 17. Their cousin, Dekendrix Warner, 15, was rescued. The others killed were the Stewarts: Litrelle, 18; LaDarius, 17; and Latevin, 15….The teenagers had been in a popular recreational area where sandbars give way to 20-foot depths. Neither the teenagers nor the adults watching from the riverbank could swim. “They had one life jacket here,” said Cindy Chadwick, a spokeswoman for the Caddo Parish Sheriff’s Office. “As you can imagine, everybody started yelling for help. Nobody could swim.”
“Drowning is the second-leading cause of unintentional, injury-related death for people younger than 19, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics.[1] Black children drown at a rate more than three times that of white children, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.[2] The teenagers who drowned Monday were black….
“Dekendrix Warner was wading close to the shore when he slipped on a slick, clay surface and fell into deeper water. The other teens rushed to help him and were overcome, authorities said. The bodies have been recovered, Shreveport Assistant Fire Chief Fred Sanders said. “According to the divers,” Shreveport Fire Chief Brian Crawford said, “there was about 12 to 15 feet of water that slowly graded off from ankle depth to about three feet. It’s very slippery and so if you start hitting that bank and you start slipping down that bank, it’s very hard to find traction. If you don’t have a swimming capability, you could find yourself slipping down that angle all the way to the 28 feet at the bottom of the river,” he said.
“…a friend of the families, told the Times of Shreveport that she watched helplessly as the victims went under. She said a large group of family and friends, including about 20 children, were at the sandbar to barbecue. She said they were familiar with the water. “None of us could swim,” she said. “They were yelling, ‘Help me, help me. Somebody please help me.’ It was nothing I could do but watch them drown, one by one.”….
“While 40 percent of white children were found to have low or no swimming ability, the same was true for nearly 70 percent of black children, according to a recent survey by USA Swimming, the governing body of competitive swimming in the United States. Latino children also lag behind in their swimming levels, with 58 percent at low or no swimming ability.
“Experts cite several possible explanations why blacks show less of a proclivity for swimming.
“For one thing, black children with parents who themselves do not know how to swim are less likely to know or to be encouraged to learn how.
“Also, blacks say a lack of access to pools, the expense of swimming lessons and the idea that recreational swimming is a culturally white activity are factors that inhibit them from learning how to swim, according to the USA Swimming study….
“The most common reason cited by blacks for not knowing how to swim, however, was a fear of drowning.
“The USA Swimming study was conducted by the University of Memphis between Feb. 1, 2010, and May 26, 2010, and surveyed more than 2,000 children and parents at YMCAs in six cities across the United States — in Atlanta, Boston, Denver, Memphis, Minneapolis and San Diego….” (ABC News (Ron Claiborne and Enjoli Francis). “6 Teens Drown While Wading in Louisiana’s Red River.” 8-3-2010.)
CNN: “As temperatures soared Monday, the cool water of Shreveport, Louisiana’s, Red River lured a group of family and friends to its banks. In an effort to cool off, one of the teens wandered into the shallow part of the river. At some point he slipped into deep water and started to drown. So six more teens went to his rescue. Only one made it back to shore….The parents stood helpless on the shore and watched as their children struggled and eventually slipped under the water. The adults could not swim either….
“…swimming officials said the key indicator is not race, but family — children from non-swimming households are eight times more likely to be at risk of drowning.
“The divers said the river bed drops from a shallow area to about 28 feet deep. The six teens were found within 20 feet to 30 feet of each other. Though because the divers were combing through “black water,” the recovery took more than two hours….
“Police officers have spent time this summer issuing tickets, warnings and even creating barriers in an effort to keep people away from the swift Red River in Shreveport. The area is a popular spot for boaters who tie up and barbecue. But it can be a death trap for someone without a life jacket who can’t swim. “What is ironic is the Shreveport Police Department through July worked a series of enforcements to discourage people from parking and accessing that part of the river,” said Glover [Mayor Cedric Glover], adding that the city does not allow recreational activities, including swimming along the banks of the river. Only boaters are allowed….” (CNN. “Six teens drown in Shreveport’s Red River.” 8-3-2010.)
Sources
ABC News (Ron Claiborne and Enjoli Francis). “6 Teens Drown While Wading in Louisiana’s Red River.” 8-3-2010. Accessed 7-10-2019 at: https://abcnews.go.com/WN/teens-drown-wading-louisianas-red-river/story?id=11312631
ABC News (Ron E. Claiborne and Rebecca Hillman). “African-American Kids Don’t Have to Drown.” 6-20-2010. Accessed 7-10-2019 at: https://abcnews.go.com/WN/drowing-rate-black-kids-times-whites/story?id=10965334
ABC News (Suzan Clarke and Sabrina Parise via GMA). “Toddler Swim Training Not Taboo, Doctors’ Group Says.” 6-18-2010. Accessed 7-10-2019 at: https://abcnews.go.com/GMA/Parenting/american-academy-pediatrics-longer-swimming-classes-toddlers/story?id=10947301
CNN. “Six teens drown in Shreveport’s Red River.” 8-3-2010. Accessed 7-10-2019 at: http://www.cnn.com/2010/US/08/02/louisiana.river.drowning/index.html
[1] Cite: ABC News (Suzan Clarke and Sabrina Parise via GMA). “Toddler Swim Training Not Taboo, Doctors’ Group Says.” 6-18-2010. Notes that “More than 1,000 children drowned in 2006, and those at greatest risk are teenage boys and toddlers…”
[2] ABC News (Ron E. Claiborne and Rebecca Hillman). “African-American Kids Don’t Have to Drown.” 6-20-2010.