As drownings increase, states response to limit swimming, increase in fines sparks criticism

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Perhaps the harshest criticism has come from the open water swimmers themselves, especially those who ply the tranquil waters of Walden.

Hours after learning of the ban, Fred Copeman, 32, of Somerville, collected 431 signatures on an online petition asking the Department of Conservation and Recreation to overturn it and demand swimmers instead in open water towing swim buoys, which is already the case for most. .

We firmly believe that this recent ban is a misuse of DCR energy and a violation of our fundamental rights, Copeman wrote.

A spokeswoman for the Baker administration said it had adopted a comprehensive, multi-pronged effort that included free swimming lessons, better signage in state parks, higher pay for lifeguards employed by condition and extended hours on spray decks.

Peter Doliber, CEO of the Alliance of Massachusetts YMCA, said it would be hard to speculate whether increased fines, up to $ 500 for swimming in non-designated areas, would deter people from swimming in unsupervised waters.

I think the governor is concerned about the increases and is trying to do what he thinks can keep people from drowning, Doliber said.

He argued that spending more money on incentives for lifeguard training or free water safety lessons in public schools would likely help prevent drowning more than fining someone extra for swimming. where it shouldn’t. Doliber also suggested stepping up public awareness campaigns, such as sending automated phone messages or statewide text alerts about the dangers of open water swimming.

The mitigation of the pandemic and the longest heat wave in June since 1925 drew people to the water in search of help, at a time of shortages of lifeguards and swimming instructors, and in some cases before the opening of local swimming pools for the season.

The upsurge in drownings has sparked concern across the state. In May, there were 18 drownings in Massachusetts, and there were 10 more in June, plus two this week.

The most recent drowning occurred Thursday, when a 19-year-old man went missing in Pleasure Bay while swimming with his 20-year-old brother off Castle Island. After hours of searching, members of the State Police’s dive team found the body of Joao Alves Teixeiras in the water about 9 meters deep.

Two days earlier, a 29-year-old man from Brockton drowned in Scituate near the Edward Foster Bridge.

A nationwide shortage of lifeguards has led to understaffing in the city’s recreation departments, which means more lifeguard chairs by the pool and seaside laps.

The shortage was exacerbated by the pandemic, which delayed certification courses by 30 hours. Another victim was swimming lessons. Because all YMCAs across the country have closed their pools at some point during COVID-19, classes have been postponed.

Earlier this summer, in an interview with The Globe, the American Lifeguard Association predicted many unsupervised beaches and many swimming pools closed. BJ Fisher, the association’s health and safety director, also predicted an upsurge in summer drownings.

When pools close and summer temperatures rise, young people will always find holes to swim in, Fisher said, whether they are jumping fences to swim in pools or hitting the area’s many ponds and lakes.

And that will only make matters worse, Fisher told The Globe.

Democratic gubernatorial hopeful Benjamin Downing, who called on Baker this week to declare a heat emergency amid record-breaking temperatures, said on Friday the proposed fines were aimed at punishing those most in need of our support from the ‘State.

Not only will this approach do nothing to address the public health risks associated with water recreation, Downing said, it will also have a disproportionate impact on our most vulnerable residents across the state.

A spokesperson for the Speaker of the House, Ronald Mariano, also argued that higher fines would not work and, moreover, would have a disproportionate impact on the poor.

A better approach would be to increase access to swimming resources so that people from all walks of life can learn to swim affordably, added Uyterhoeven, representative for Somerville.

Although people have been swimming through Walden Pond for decades, it was only allowed by the state in 2014, when the Department of Conservation and Recreation created a set of rules for swimmers in the water to follow. free, such as prohibiting swimmers from approaching within 100 feet of the launch area and other designated swimming areas. These rules now seem null and void.

New DCR rules at Walden Pond, which came into effect on Friday, say visitors will be asked to stop swimming in open water and only swim in areas demarcated by ropes and buoys. Walden has long been a popular spot for open water swimming.

On hot summer days, the pond is usually so popular that the parking lot is closed for long periods of the afternoon. The little nooks and crannies at the edge of the pond are occupied by bathers and swimmers. Long-distance swimmers swim alongside, many towing small orange inflatable floats.

On Friday morning, Sam Parkman and Dave Bryant stepped out for a swim in the drizzle as a layer of fog floated across the glassy, ​​still water. The two men briefly swam under the ropes in a symbolic act of civil disobedience.

Walden gained national notoriety thanks to Henry David Thoreau, who essentially invented the idea of ​​civil disobedience, Bryant said. We went under the ropes for a minute or two today just as a nod to Henry.

Bryant said the ban on open water swimming in Walden appears to be an overreaction to bureaucracy to a series of unfortunate events.

I hope there will be adjustments, he added. There must be a better solution than all or nothing.

Parkman said he believes it will be difficult to enforce the new rules, especially on days when the whole pond is surrounded by people seeking relief from the heat. If hundreds of people are here as they are every day, what are they going to do? Run around the expansive beach and say, here’s a ticket for you, and here’s a ticket for you?

Another swimmer, Lincoln’s Peter Halpert, who swam in the designated area of ​​the pond for 45 minutes on Friday, was upset by the new rules.

It’s holy water, he said. Its spiritual and religious event to swim in this pond. One of the most beautiful things you can do in life is swim in this pond with no limits.

Swimming is no longer permitted outside of designated areas at Walden Pond. Peter Halpert, an avid swimmer, recently moved to Lincoln to be able to swim at Walden Pond. “It gives me peace and serenity. It is one of the most beautiful things you can do in life.” he said.John Tlumacki / Globe Staff / The Boston Globe A group of young men swim outside the designated area at Walden Pond on Friday. John Tlumacki / Globe Staff / The Boston Globe

Globe staff Travis Andersen, Martin Finucane and Emma Platoff, and correspondents Ivy Scott and Jasper Goodman contributed to this report.

Emily Sweeney can be reached at [email protected]. Follow her on Twitter @emilysweeney. Julia Carlin can be reached at [email protected]. Tonya Alanez can be reached at [email protected] or 617-929-1579. Follow her on Twitter @talanez.

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