Officials warn of open water dangers after 3 drownings in Minnesota

Safety on open water is top of mind after at least three drownings over the Fourth of July weekend in Minnesota.

One drowning happened up north at Movil Lake in Beltrami County. Two more happened in the metro area. A teenager was hospitalized in a fourth incident.

"I enjoy that the water moves, so to me, in my mind, it's cleaner," parent Reino Rantila said.

The potential perk he described is why he appreciates St. Croix Beach, where the water of the St. Croix River is calm enough for families to take a dip. But with the movement comes a warning.

"I think you should know your limits if you're going to go into a river because of the currents," Rantila said. "All water, you need to know your limits, but rivers specifically because they're moving."

On Sunday night, investigators said a 20-year-old man was pulled from the same shallow waters at the beach. A spokesperson for Washington County said deputies tried to save the man's life on shore. He was taken to a hospital where he died. It's unclear what led up to the drowning incidents.

The rescue attempt mirrored the scene Saturday night at Minnehaha Falls where dive teams searched for a 16-year-old boy who went underwater after swimming with his family. Witnesses said it took 20 minutes for crews to find him. He was hospitalized in critical condition.

Also Saturday, dive teams with the Carver County Sheriff's Office were called out to Lake Ann after a report of a man going under the water and not surfacing. It took crews nearly three hours to find his body.

Open water is a popular draw during Minnesota summers, but they carry unique dangers compared to a pool.

Hennepin County Water Patrol told WCCO that lakes and rivers can have:

• sudden drops in depth.
• sandy, muddy bottoms that can trap an individual's feet and pull them deeper.
• frigid temperatures that can shock the system, tighten muscles and make it hard to breathe.

Rantila said his family takes water safety seriously, and that includes talking about the tragic possibilities with his kids.

"The way that we parent, it's understood. They know that (drownings happen)," he said.