Dams Pose Danger To Swimmers, Boaters

NPR

Published April 17, 2015 at 12:20 PM EDT

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Among the deaths detailed in the BYU report is a man who drowned after falling off the Joe Reasoner Dam in Humboldt, Iowa, while fishing in 2006. (BYU)

The winter-weary across the U.S. are looking forward to summer heat. For people who don’t live near a natural lake, low-head dams can provide smooth, inviting swimming holes.

But that glassy surface often belies serious danger. According to a report from Brigham Young University, 441 people have died in 235 of these dams across the country since the 1950s.

Scott McFetridge of the Associated Press joins Here & Now’s Robin Young with details.

See the BYU report and a map of the fatalities
AP: Low-Lying Dams Drown Hundreds Of Unsuspecting Victims

Guest

Scott McFetridge, Associated Press news editor for Iowa and Nebraska. He tweets @smcfetridge.