SPOKANE VALLEY, Wash. — It is World Drowning Prevention Day, which serves as a reminder to swim safely that couldn’t come at a better time.
First responders have been very busy this summer.
Water rescue teams for the Spokane Valley Fire Department (SVFD) train once a week year-round to be ready any time, and that training has been put to use lately.
On a breezy weekday, the Spokane River at Islands Trailhead isn’t seeing the crowds it does at weeks’ end.
It’s been busy, and so have firefighters.
“People typically underestimate the risk involved with swimming in the river,” Spokane Valley Fire Department Division Chief of Operations Brian Treffry said.
Already this summer, Spokane Valley Fire is seeing drowning calls swell to numbers they haven't seen since 2019, four times the amount of calls from last year.
“We’re up to eight this year and we haven’t even gotten to the part of the season where people recreate in the river with frequency, so it’s quite alarming,” Treffry said.
Division Chief Treffry says while the water is shallow and slow in parts, any area of the river can be a danger zone.
Just a couple of weeks ago, SVFD’s water rescue team pulled four people out of the water here. One person didn’t survive.
Firefighters say they’ve never had to save someone wearing a life jacket.
“You should also consider wearing a PFD at all times," Treffry said. "Adults, children in particular, benefit from that. It takes only a few inches of water to drown.”
It can happen in less than 30 seconds, which is why Treffry says to know where you are on the river, including which side.
“Seconds count,” Treffry said.
Because if an emergency does happen, rescuers want to get to you as quickly as possible.
“We want to encourage people to enjoy the Spokane River and all it has to offer," Treffry said. "We just want them to do it safely.”
Here’s another life-saving tip: don’t swim alone.
First responders advise using the buddy system out here on the water and watching out for one another.