If the world-class player from Oklahoma City Thunders doesn’t depart, they will.

If the world-class player from Oklahoma City Thunders doesn’t depart, they will.

KOKH, OKLAHOMA CITY — Six people drowned in Oklahoma on July 4th alone, so law enforcement is pleading with folks to stay careful on the water for the holiday weekend.

According to Oklahoma Highway Patrol trooper Ryan Griffith, “the drownings that occurred at Keystone Lake yesterday could have very potentially been prevented if they had worn a personal floatation device while they were out on that inflatable boat.”

There were many drownings over the Fourth of July weekend, including one at that same lake, one at Lake Thunderbird, one at Grand Lake, and one at Flint Creek Waterpark, all of which Griffith claimed were avoidable.

Some people find themselves in the water uninvited, and some people believe they are better swimmers than they actually are. Additionally, people might trip and fall off a boat “he stated.

A man at Grand Lake reportedly dove into the water to save a child who had fallen off a towed water gadget but had not surfaced, according to Grand River Dam Police.

Griffith added that while trying to save someone, rescuers run the risk of drowning themselves. He claimed he spoke to another man who was involved in a similar situation and who was successful in saving a small child from drowning.

“He was able to get her to not fight him and to allow him to keep her back to him so he could pull her into shore, but it was a pretty traumatic thing,” he stated.

According to Griffith, personal flotation devices are a great tool for preventing drowning.

If you’re in the water, wear a personal flotation device, particularly if you can’t swim. PFDs, or personal flotation devices, are awesome. They seem like the cutest thing to me. When I see people using personal flotation devices on the water, I get very excited. I cherish to witness motorists using seatbelts,” he remarked.