Warm Saturday Marks Deadly Day On Minnesota Waters

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- It was a deadly day on the water across Minnesota as people tried to keep cool in yesterday's 90-degree temperatures.

When the temperatures soar, our lakes, rivers and pools are an escape from the heat. But on Saturday, that relaxing day on the water turned into a frantic rescue effort in three different locations around the state.

In Douglas County, the sheriff's office is investigating a drowning on Lake Miltona in Alexandria. A man went overboard on his boat and never resurfaced. The victim was in the water for at least an hour before search crews found him.

His name hasn't been released.

In Sherburne County, deputies responded to a drowning at Orono Lake in Elk River Saturday afternoon. According to reports, a man went under while swimming. Rescuers found him and pulled him to shore but couldn't save him.

And in Burnsville, police got a call of a child pulled from the bottom of a pool on the 14000 block of Portland Avenue. It happened just before 8 p.m. at the Woods of Burnsville Apartments.

Apartment workers say the child was found unresponsive and taken to the hospital. There has been no word on the child's condition.

One swim instructor had this advice for parents heading into the hot weather season.

"The most important thing to remember is parents are their child's lifeguard. Just because there's lifeguards present at the beach or the pool parents need to be watching intently, I would encourage parents to get their kids in swim lessons or get them tested to see if they can swim a full length of a lap pool," Alicia Kockler, the director of Life Time Swim, said.

One guideline that you can follow for swim safety is the 25-10 rule.  If kids can't swim 25 meters, parents should be within 10 feet of them.