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Another Drowning In Jordan Lake Puts Increased Emphasis On Safety

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CHATHAM COUNTY, N.C. — A second drowning at Jordan Lake has park rangers taking a closer look at lake safety.

Nicandro Garcia, 21, drowned at Seaforth Beach in Chatham County while swimming with a friend Saturday. A teenager drowned on that same stretch of beach on Memorial Day.

Garcia disappeared while swimming near a floating hose marking the outer limit of the swimming area on the western side of the lake, said Billy Totten, superintendent of Jordan Lake Recreation Area.

"We assume he got tired, but we just don't know," Totten said.

Garcia was taken to UNC Hospitals and pronounced dead.

All the recent rains may have played a role in the Jordan Lake drownings.

Park staff put a yellow marker in the water to let visitors know that is as far as they need to go.

But staying inside the yellow marker alone won't keep someone safe.

Garcia drowned near the yellow marker, where the lake normally is five-and-a-half to six feet deep. But recent heavy rains have that area at seven-and-a-half to eight feet deep.

Park officials want people to pay close attention to the poles that mark the depth. The numbers on the poles signify how deep the water is at that spot.

Park officials also are stressing the importance of life preservers. They ask visitors to wear the life preservers at the lake and make sure somebody is watching them when they go in the water.

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