After three people drowned in Vermont waterways in the span of five days, officials are renewing calls to swim with caution.
On Wednesday evening, a man was found dead in Lake Champlain, near cliffs at Red Rocks Park in Burlington. Police had not been able to identify the victim as of Thursday.
The night before, 30-year-old Darren Kemp drowned further south in the same lake, offshore from Basin Harbor in Ferrisburgh. Kemp, who was from South Africa, had been living and working at the resort, according to police. He was seen going into the water but did not resurface, according to a police press release.
Several days earlier, on the afternoon of June 21, 18-year-old Eljak Menjwak drowned after jumping into the water at Bartlett Falls in Bristol. State police said bystanders saw him immediately begin to struggle but were not able to pull him from the water. Menjwak was a student at Burlington High School.
An average of 10 people unintentionally drown a year, according to recent Vermont Health Department data. In 2024, 14 people died. The majority of the victims are white men ages 25 to 44, and most deaths take place in natural bodies of water, according to the department.
Jon Wehse is the chief of Stowe Mountain Rescue, which supports the town and neighboring communities.
He cautioned that Vermont鈥檚 rivers and streams can be unpredictable, particularly after rainy periods.
鈥淛ust always be aware that rivers are dynamic, and they're always changing from year to year, and from day to day, week to week, depending on flooding and river conditions and water height," Wehse said in an interview Thursday.
Wehse also advised swimmers to always look before they leap 鈥� large rocks or logs could be lurking just under the water.
And, he noted, aerated or bubbly water underneath waterfalls poses a big risk, because it makes it hard to float.
Adding to the danger: 鈥淯nderneath that waterfall, there's what's called a hydraulic and that's the movement of the water under the water surface,鈥� he explained. 鈥淚t can trap a person under the water and pin them."
Lastly, Wehse says moss-covered rocks at swimming holes can be very slippery 鈥� so use caution.
Regardless of the body of water, the Vermont Health Departmentof taking swim lessons, using life jackets, and keeping a particularly close watch on children in the water.
The department warns against drinking alcohol while swimming and suggests developing an emergency plan in advance, noting that the state鈥檚 swim spots can be remote and often lack cell service and access to rescue equipment.
The most important precaution swimmers can take is a simple one: don't swim alone.
