CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA (CVILLE RIGHT NOW) – Last Wednesday, a group of Albemarle County elementary and middle school-age campers visited Chris Greene Lake. Tuesday, camp groups from the Boys and Girls Club took a trip to Charlottesville’s Smith Aquatic Fitness Center.

All around the region, summer camps use area pools and lakes as fun excursions and ways to beat the heat. 

But the large groups can present challenges to those facilities as their staffs work to ensure safety.

“Water can be one of the most fun and refreshing places to be in the summertime,” Charlottesville Parks and Recreation’s Aquatics Operations Manager told Cville Right Now. “And that’s great, but it can also be incredibly dangerous.”

Last week, a 9-year-old boy from the Richmond area died after drowning at an Henrico County pool while participating in a summer swim camp. It was a tragic reminder of the need for hyper-vigilant supervision of youngsters in the water.

“Swimming is awesome,” Recreation Manager for Albemarle County Parks and Recreation Joe Clark told Cville Right Now. “But it’s also really scary.”

That’s why Clark said the county has specific policies in place to ensure water safety at the three outdoor swim lakes it operates – Chris Green, Mint Spring and Walnut Creek.

That includes limiting the size of groups visiting the water, grouping children by age and skill level, and having recreation leaders go in the water with the campers. All of that is in addition to the trained and certified lifeguards on hand at the three locations. 

The campers also are required to take breaks, coming out of the water to rest and recover. 

“They don’t want the kids to keep swimming for 45 minutes to an hour straight,” Clark said. “We want every single one to come out and take a break together.”

At Chris Green Lake, campers aren’t allowed to swim out past the buoys to the dock, a popular spot for swimmers to jump off.

“Even if the kids might be a little upset or discouraged, they want to go out there and jump off the dock, we just don’t want to take that chance,” Clark said. “We just want them to go out, it’s hot, get wet, have fun, but also safety is our first priority.”

Bringing large groups of campers to the lakes presents a unique challenge, because the water can be murky and it’s not always possible to see down to the bottom.

At the city’s Smith Aquatic Fitness Center, Cotton said the goal is to have at least one life guard per 20-25 swimmers. She said extra life guards are scheduled for days when they know camps are visiting the facility.

“Safety, above anything else, is so important,” Cotton said.

Still, despite the risks, Clark and Cotton agreed that, as long as safety is emphasized, swim time is a valuable and enjoyable part of the summer camp experience. 

“It’s so important to give the children exposure,” Cotton said. “Give them the knowledge of water safety to be able to have fun, safe times in the water.”