As crowds flock to lakes and rivers, they also face the hidden shock while swimming in some of California's most popular destinations.
Ashley Ludwig, Patch Staff
|Updated Fri, May 23, 2025 at 6:48 pm PT
BIG BEAR, CA — As Memorial Day weekend kicks off the summer, officials at last located the body of a missing 20-year-old swimmer in Lake Perris, a Bay Area family is mourning the drowning death of their 18-year-old son in Lake Havasu, and the family of a 22-year-old UC Santa Barbara student is mourning his drowning death in Big Bear Lake.
The tragedies underscore the little-understood truth lurking beneath the surface: California's lakes can be deadly for even the healthiest of people and strongest of swimmers. Some of the Golden State's deadliest lakes simply draw larger crowds, more boats, more alcohol and more accidents. Others, however, are, by nature, cold killers.
Many of California's most popular lakes are also the coldest, fed by rivers and creeks from the melting snowpack. On a warm day, many swimmers often aren't prepared for the cold shock when they jump from the back of a pontoon into the likes of Big Bear Lake, Lake Tahoe, or Lake Piru.
Many California lakes have average temperatures below 70 degrees. That's cold enough to trigger cold water shock, which can literally take your breath away. Humans have a cold water gasp reflex, an involuntary gasp triggered when someone is suddenly immersed in cold water. Many cold lake drowning victims die within a minute of jumping into the water because the gasp underwater causes them to aspirate. The reflexive gasping and hyperventilating can last for several minutes.
“Roughly 20 percent of cold water shock victims die in the first minute, due to a 'gasp reflex,' when a sharp intake of breath introduces water into the lungs," A NOAA spokesperson said.
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This "uncontrolled rapid breathing" can quickly create a drowning emergency if you inhale water and cannot stay afloat, according to NOAA. “Wearing a life jacket significantly increases the chances of being located and saved."
When a person's core temperature suddenly drops they can lose feeling within their extremities in just 10 minutes. They may experience cramps and loss of muscle control.
Big Bear resident Kerensa Krininger knows what that can feel like.
A longtime Big Bear resident, Krininger remembers a moment when she became immersed in the icy cold lake water, unable to breathe, and the sudden fear of potentially drowning that followed.
“Three of us girls jumped into the water off a boat, and the water was freezing cold,” she said. “Immediately, I got a charley horse in my chest and my legs and couldn’t move anything but my arms to stay afloat, let alone scream for help. It was a very eye-opening experience for me.”
“I don’t care how old you are, how experienced a swimmer you are, you always wear a life jacket in that lake,” Krininger added. “We have drownings every single year because somebody either gets tired, gets stuck in the weeds and can’t move, or hits a cold spot of water and their muscles cramp.”
Last year, she was paddle boarding on Big Bear Lake with her young daughter when the pair helped save two teen boys in danger of drowning.
“You would never know, because they were swimming out farther, and looked okay,” Kerensa Krininger, a Big Bear resident, told Patch. “It looked to me like they turned around and waved at their mother, letting her know they were alright.”
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Instead, they were slipping below the surface.
"These boys were just exhausted and the current was working against them," she told Patch.
Photo Credit: Kerensa Krininger, after the paddleboard incident in 2024.
“Everyone was screaming at him to float on his back, hold his breath, but he was obviously panicking and struggling, or never learned how to float,” she said. A second paddleboarder arrived seconds before she did. “He grabbed the kid before he completely went under. My mom instincts kicked in, and I told the kids never to swim in that lake without a life jacket.”
According to a report by the California State Park Boating and Waterway's, some of the Golden State's deadliest waterways — Lake Tahoe, Lake Shasta, Lake Berryessa, Millerton Lake — can draw large crowds while remaining quite cold.
On a May afternoon in 2020, two simmers went into the water in Big Bear Lake. Within minutes both were pulled out of the water and hospitalized. One suffered hypothermia and recovered. The other, a man in his 20s, died despite CPR and other life-saving efforts.
A spokesperson for Big Bear Lake writes that the lake water, fed by rain and snowmelt and only recently free from snow flurries and freezing temperatures, “is colder than you realize. Rarely does the lake rise above 70 degrees," they say, "and constant cold water reduces body heat up to 25 times faster than cold air.”
Life jackets are not only advised when boating or lake swimming; they are a state requirement for those under 13 and on moving vessels of a certain length. Due to the risk of cold water at Big Bear Lake, they are also recommended for all swimmers.
Still, aside from the dangers, lake swimming offers beauty and peace. According to Lake.com, along with the tranquility, swimming in lakes requires an understanding and respect of swimming in nature.
“There’s a lot to consider before jumping in,” David Ciccarcelli writes. “It is important to consider factors such as water quality, the presence of underwater obstacles, and weather conditions. Make sure to swim only in designated swimming areas and obey posted signs and warnings. Swim in lakes that have clearly marked swim zones, like a public beach.” There are state-regulated rules on how far you can swim offshore, and those are best followed, he advises.
Wherever swimming in a lake, beach or pool, water watchers and following swimming safety guidelines are necessary, especially during the summer months.
Riverside University Health System’s Public Health spokesperson, Erin Monroe, spoke with Patch about the sheer number of drowning victims in her county, alone. Even someone who survives a drowning is considered to have drowned, she said.
“There are about 100 of these non-fatal drowning reports a year. Many near-fatal events go unreported,” she told Patch.”The numbers don’t tell the whole story, the near misses where 911 is not called.”
In 2024, Riverside County experienced 30 fatal drownings, only three of which were children, according to a recent report shared by Riverside University Health System’. Multiple fatal drownings occurred in Lake Perris, including a June incident when a 51-year-old man who "jumped off a boat into open waters on the west end of the lake and never resurfaced." His body was recovered 92 days later.
He is one of many, according to Monroe.
“From 2018 to 2022, there were an average of 44 total fatal drownings a year, and 72.3 percent were male victims,” the report reads. Statistics show that nearly 20 percent of Riverside County’s 220 fatal drownings studied occurred in a natural body of water. Moreover, the vast majority of non-fatal and fatal drownings during that timeframe, 56.6 percent, were males over 5 years old.
According to Riverside University Health System, between 2018 and 2022, most drownings occured from May through August. Monroe said that trend is holding true so far in 2025.
Although drowning can occur at any age, Riverside County had higher death rates in the younger and older age spectrum, suggesting the need for increased awareness and prevention services for these two populations. There were an average of 20 deaths a year from these two age groups combined, according to the report.
“When swimmers go to a pool, lake, or other body of water, one person in the group should be designated to watch the water," according to Monroe.
A designated water watcher, especially at a lake or backyard pool without lifeguards, is essential to maintaining swimmers' safety. She suggested a few responsible adults take the job and take turns with the task. Notify swimmers who are watching, and don’t take your eyes off the swimmers until your “shift” is done.
Wearable Water Watcher Tags are downloadable, courtesy of the American Red Cross.
“No phones, no magazines or chatting while water-watching,” Monroe suggested. “Aside from that, absolutely no one should ever swim alone. Even for older adult swimmers, who may suffer a medical emergency.”
Monroe suggests that the ABCs of water safety apply no matter where you and your family go to swim this Memorial Day holiday weekend.
A - Active adult supervision.B - Barriers should be in place, creating a safety net between pools and the very young, or older people with dementia. C - Classes. Take CPR, first aid, and swim lessons. Make sure adults learn how to swim, as well.
Monroe stated that one of the most important things you can do for yourself or your family is to make sure everyone knows how to swim, no matter your age.
She added, “You’re never too old to learn how to swim."
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