Week of tragedies beckons for caution

Summer is supposed to be a time of vacations, enjoying warm weather and spending time with family.

And for many, that's already been accomplished, with more fun and celebration planned between now and Labor Day.

But this particular summer also has seen an unusually high number of tragedies, particularly last week.

In one seven-day stretch, there were tragic deaths of five people and the mysterious disappearance of a sixth person.

The anomaly began in Tamaqua on Aug. 11, with the sudden death of a 40-year-old father of two, killed when a car he was working on fell off ramps.

Later that day, a 29-year-old Tamaqua man, also a father of two, went missing and is still unaccounted for. His family is begging for answers.

On Saturday, a 48-year-old New York City man was pulled unconscious from the Delaware River at the New York-Pennsylvania border and later died.

Then, on Aug. 19, a 31-year-old Slatington man was reported missing near the Lehigh River.

Three hours later, his body was discovered, an apparent victim of drowning, although an autopsy will determine the cause of death for certain.

On the same day, a 26-year-old male swimmer drowned in the Delaware River about 3:30 p.m. at the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area and a 15-year-old boy was the victim of drowning at a pool inside Hickory Run State Park.

Of course, it's not unusual for drownings to take place during the hot summer months. But to have so many in just one week is highly unusual.

In some cases, swimmers just don't realize the dangers posed by rivers and streams, including dangerous undercurrents, plus river and lake beds that are not level.

Plus, swimming in fresh water can be more physically challenging than swimming in salt water, which is more buoyant.

As for the accidental death of a man working beneath his car, that type of incident, too, is not uncommon.

In fact, he was the third Tamaqua area resident to become a victim of a car falling from a jack or ramp in the past two years.

Summertime provides the opportunity for outdoor activities. But it also demands a greater awareness of danger.

If you plan to enjoy the outdoors between now and Labor Day, be sure to put safety first.

If we learned anything from the recent week of tragedy, it's that life is both fragile and precious.

There's a familiar warning telling us to enjoy life because we can be "here today and gone tomorrow."

But last week, we saw first-hand we can be here today and gone today.

Enjoy the rest of the summer but, whatever you do, be especially careful.

By Donald R. Serfass | dserfass@tnonline.com