Subject: RE: Lake Nokomis and Drowning The lake is very safe. It is true that we get a few drownings every season, but they are not from people who are swimmers. Here is what normally happens: 1st, someone who doesn't know how to swim takes a bet or dare to swim with a buddy or two a couple hundred yards (alcohol is often, but not always, involved ). Then, that person begins to panic because they realize the don't know how to swim, and are only in shape to go maybe 25 meters. Finally, they attempt to tread water vertically, thrashing, and that is when they might get caught in weeds. That, then, creates more panic and a very sad ending.
I am a novice swimmer as far as triathlons go, but I've been doing just fine this summer in lakes where these sad cases sometimes occur. Your beginner triathlete is not going to drown... it is the person who has no business being any deeper then 3 feet who is.
Nokomis is a good swimming lake. And the Lifetime Fitness triathlon is 1st-rate with lots of support. If anyone during the race gives the universal help signal (turn over on to back and raise arm up into the air ), I'm guessing you'd have a kayaking lifegaurd to you within 15 seconds. |