Not all learn lessons of past drownings

BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) - When the temperatures rise, so do the dangers - especially along the water.

Over the last two summers Buffalo has seen close to double digit drownings, most of them children. In 2011, a 16-year-old and a 9-year-old both both died at Squaw Island.

The 16-year old was trying to save another swimmer. The 9-year old went under while out with a group of young boys and were unsupervised.

Janice Rodriguez is a mother that feels more places should be available for her son to swim. She doesn't like taking him to city pools because of past violence.

"Today is a perfect example, it's going to be super hot. Where does he have to go to go swimming? You know, where it's peaceful, there's no shooting, nobody's dying?" she questioned.

Rodriguez added, "Unfortunately we're going to have to do the hose or something in the backyard because it's the only thing that's pretty safe nowadays."

Ron White fishes at Squaw Island on a regular basis and thinks the two drownings last year have made people think twice about swimming in the pond there.

"I would say that definitely. People see it happen once, why let it happen again?" he said.

But that isn't the case in South Buffalo. Cazenovia Park is another spot that saw a drowning last year. It was almost a year ago that a 13-year old-girl died at the waterfall while trying to save a younger girl. But there were plenty of people still swimming in the creek on Wednesday.

Buffalo Police Commissioner Dan Derenda says patrol units are out checking waterways, but it's nearly impossible to be at all of them.

"'No Swimming' [is posted] but the kids go there and they go swimming and occasionally do have a tragic accident. So they've been instructed to make frequent passes in these areas and do what we have to to keep them safe," he said.

The commissioner also said in the next couple weeks, every patrol car will be given water rescue equipment. That way, if anything does happen, the person first on the scene will have a chance to save a life.