With crowds flocking to the water this summer, authorities share a single, urgent goal for Lake Farmington this year: zero drownings.
To make that happen, community members and safety officials gathered for Lake Safety Day to emphasize that surviving a water emergency depends on preparation, wearing the right gear and knowing exactly how to react when things go wrong.
Hosted on Friday, June 12, by the Farmington Parks and Recreation Department, the event ran from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and featured safety demonstrations from local and state agencies, including the Farmington Police Department, Farmington Fire Department, New Mexico State Parks and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
This is the first year the city has hosted Lake Safety Day. Officials launched the initiative after realizing the public needed more education on water recreation due to a history of drownings and other incidents both locally and across the country. To kick off the program, the city organized two separate events.
“We’d really love to have a year where nobody drowns,” said Officer Robert Decker of the Farmington Police Department’s Community Resource Unit.
Decker noted that teenagers and young adults are the most at-risk demographic, particularly during busy summer weekends. To mitigate those risks, police are conducting heavy patrols this season to enforce zero-tolerance policies on alcohol and to keep swimmers away from the lake’s dangerous intake structures.
A recurring theme among water rescuers is the deadly illusion of swimming ability. Sudden emergencies on kayaks, canoes and paddleboards often leave boaters with no time to react.
“Everybody thinks they’re a good swimmer until they capsize,” said New Mexico State Parks boating officer Oran Hurst. “And then they don don’t have time to put on a life jacket because once you’re actually in the water, there’s not time to put it on anymore.”
Hurst stressed that life jackets are legally required for all ages and must be worn at all times, rather than just kept on-board. The San Juan College outdoor rental center also advised boaters to evaluate their destination and ensure they use safety equipment like tethers and throw ropes when out on the water.
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers taught attendees the “reach, throw, row, don’t go” rescue method. Instead of jumping into the water to save someone in distress, rescuers should reach out with an object like a paddle, throw a floating item such as a cooler or a throw ring, or row out to the victim.
Other than personal safety, the event highlighted the importance of protecting the lake itself. Lead lake host Arlese Smith explained that all watercraft must be rigorously inspected to prevent invasive species from entering the lake. Such species could clog the lake’s intricate water-siphoning system, which would cost taxpayers heavily to repair.
Additionally, Farmington Fire Department Capt. Phillip Logan reminded visitors that fires are strictly limited to designated campground areas to prevent wildfires.
“We just want to make sure that everybody stays safe this summer and we don’t have any big incidents out here,” Logan said.
The event, hosted by the Farmington Parks and Recreation Department, offered half-off seasonal lake passes to encourage attendance and spread the safety message as widely as possible.
“We want to shut all that down before it starts,” Officer Robert Decker said of risky behavior on the water. “So, you’re going to see a lot of police activity out here trying to keep people safe over the summer.”
Lenora Lare is an intern in her third summer with the Tri-City Record and her first year in the New Mexico Local News Fellowships and Internships Program. Learn more at www.newmexicolocalnewsfellowships.org.