Swimmers: Be aware Published June 8, 2009 SPANGDAHLEM AIR BASE, Germany -- The following are tips and warnings to keep in mind when doing activities around water. Most victims drown within 10 to 30 feet of safety, so it is important that you and your family members learn to swim. Each year approximately 6,000 people drown in the United States, drowning is the second-leading cause of accidental deaths for persons 15-44 years of age, and two-thirds of the people who drown never had the intended on being in the water. It is unsafe to rely solely on inflatable toys such as inner tubes or water wings to stay afloat, as they may be easily popped. Don't make the mistake of over-estimating your swimming skills, swimming outside of designated swimming areas or swimming alone. These steps could result in tragic results. The four major causes of drowning are not wearing a life jacket, alcohol abuse, lack of sufficient swimming skills and hypothermia. Divers Never dive into lakes or rivers. Every year, diving accidents result in more than 8,000 people suffering paralyzing spinal-cord injuries and another 5,000 dying before they reach the hospital. All too often, hidden dangers lurk beneath the surface of the water, including rock outcrops or shallow water. Alcohol: The fun killer Alcohol and water do not mix. Being intoxicated is not necessary for alcohol to be a threat to your safety. Just one drink will impair your balance, vision, judgment and reaction time, thus making you a potential danger to yourself and others. Each year, about 3,000 drowning fatalities had consumed alcohol prior to their accident. Fatigue is also an inhibitor of normal functions. Research shows that four hours of boating, exposure to noise, vibration, sun, glare and wind can create a feeling of intoxication. If you combine alcohol with fatigue, it intensifies the effects and increases your accident risk. Cold water survival There is a chance that your life may depend on a better understanding of cold water. Many suspected drowning victims actually die from cold exposure or hypothermia - a condition in which the body loses heat at an alarming rate resulting in violent shivering, confusion and a loss of body movement. If you fall in the water, no matter the season, hypothermia can occur. Many of our nation's open waters are mountain-fed, and water temperatures, even in late summer, can run low enough to cause this condition under certain circumstances. It is important to remember: - Don't discard clothing. Clothing layers, including shoes and hats, provide some warmth that may actually assist in fighting hypothermia. - Wear your life jacket. This helps hold heat in the core areas of your body and enables you to easily put yourself in the Heat Escape Lessening Posture, or HELP, by drawing limbs into your body. - Keep your armpits and groin areas protected from unnecessary exposure. A lot of heat can be lost from those areas, as well as your head.