Mostly cloudy. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 61F. Winds light and variable..

Mostly cloudy. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 61F. Winds light and variable.

The death of a Walton man who was canoeing on the Susquehanna River at Otego on Sunday is a reminder that we need to keep safety in mind when engaged in water sports.

We don’t know a lot about how Brian Walley, 43, died. A report from the Otsego County Sheriff’s Department said Walley was canoeing on the river with other family members when he went around a bend in the river, out of sight from the rest of the party. When family members rounded the bend, he was missing.

What we can reasonably presume from that information is that whatever happened, it happened quickly.

State Police divers found Mr. Walley’s body a few hours later, in water six to eight feet deep, not far from where he was last seen alive.

It was a terrible end to what should have been a pleasant day for a family, enjoying the natural recreation our area offers.

According to information from the National Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there are an estimated 3,960 fatal unintentional drownings, including boating-related drowning, each year, an average of 11 drowning deaths per day.

Mr. Walley might have been doing everything right — there has been no statement from police that he engaged in any high-risk behavior on the water. Nonetheless, we’ll remind people of some of the steps they should take to stay safe, and of some of the risk factors associated with drowning deaths.

Wear a personal flotation device, also known as a PFD or life jacket. The U.S. Coast Guard reported 613 boating-related deaths in 2019 — 79% of the deaths were drowning related, and of those who died from drowning 86% were not wearing life jackets, the website of the National Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said.

Nearly 80% of people who die from drowning are male, according to the CDC. Many factors might contribute to higher rates of drowning among males, the CDC website said, including increased exposure to water, risk-taking behaviors and alcohol use.

Alcohol, in particular, seems to be a risk factor, and is closely linked to a lot of outdoor recreation.

Among adolescents and adults, the CDC said, alcohol use is involved in up to 70% of deaths associated with water recreation, nearly one in four emergency department visits for drowning and about one in five reported boating deaths. It’s not hard to imagine why. As the CDC notes, alcohol impairs balance, coordination and judgment, and it increases risk-taking behavior.

Not being able to swim was also cited by the CDC as a factor. It may be tempting to think of our small ponds, lakes and streams as benign, even harmless, but tragedies such as Sunday’s tell us otherwise. Watercraft may seem stable, but underwater hazards or human error could cause the passengers of a canoe or kayak to find themselves in the water. Paddlers should be prepared for that eventuality, both by being able to swim and by wearing a PFD.

Again, we don’t know that Mr. Walley did anything that contributed to the tragedy. But we hope what happened will cause others to take the dangers of water sports seriously and go over the CDC list of things to do — and not to do — before heading out on the water.

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