This summer will look different for most of us. That includes our rescue teams in WAVE Country.
The Jefferson County Fire Service says they get about 50 calls each year involving water incidents. With area pools closed this year, fire departments said they will absolutely get more because people will be using waterways, ponds, lakes and rivers as alternatives and without lifeguards.
Local firefighters said if you're going to swim be familiar with the specific waterway. You should never swim alone in case you need someone to call for help. Swimmers should be mindful of weather and water conditions because different waterways can impact your ability to swim in different ways. In smaller bodies of water the conditions change faster. "Currents can be very deadly,” Lt. Colonel Kent Kruer of the Anchorage Middletown Fire Department said.