Reply #7: The parents did not know how to swim either. The problem is when the parents and the teens don't

[Jennicut]

know how to swim and get caught in strong currents in the river and the depth increases fast, it can be very dangerous for everyone involved. I grew up swimming along a lake where my grandmother lives in CT. I swam across the lake to the other side when I was 13. But that is summer after summer of lots of experience. These kids and adults had no idea and in a river with strong currents, well, tragedy can happen. The parents would have drown themselves. The real issue is that many African-Americans do not know how to swim or swim well enough. It really is sad but my best friend in college grew up in the city and was black could not swim either. He was terrified of water by the age of 20. An interesting article from 2008 on it: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/24411271/. 60% of black children cannot swim. Per the article it has to do culturally with the lack of access to good swimming facilities and then the lack of knowledge passed onto each generation.