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In ALL of the great lakes, 45 people drowned last year. I have no idea what the drownings near shore was, but I mean, millions of people live on the borders of the Great lakes. 45 is pretty damn good and I think resources are better spent on other things.

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And how many of those are young kids ? 1 is already too many

https://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2024/s0514-vs-drowning.ht...

No, 1 is inevitable no matter what you do. "Won't somebody think of the children" is not an argument.

Is it though? Death is an inevitability. Impossible to optimize the world for zero deaths. It’s a fools errand.

The problem is that once it is widely accepted that death is inevitable, that number will jump up from 45.

No it won't. This isn't like designing better brakes or something. Humans have free will and shit happens.

Sure it will. Not immediately but gradually over time. If we decide it isn't worthwhile to prevent drowning deaths, educational and informational programs will go away. Novices won't fully understand the risks. Programs like my lakeside park has where free life jackets are available to borrow will disappear. People who might have considered swim lessons won't bother.

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