A 46-year-old father died in the river while playing with his children on Saturday, June 12. Chandramohan Loghuvaran of Plymouth, MN reportedly bent down and never came up. The Washington County Dive Team responded, and recovered Loghuvaran’s body. CPR was administered unsuccessfully.

According to a GoFundMe set up for his family, “Chandra with his extended family went to William O’Brien State Park for a fun evening. In the process of moving kids out of water, Chandra got caught in the turbulence himself and could not be found for several minutes.”

He is survived by his wife and two children, ages 12 and 5, as well as many friends and family.

It’s possible Loghuvaran did not drown but suffered some other medical problem in the river. The Ramsey County Medical Examiner will determine the official cause of death.

Last summer, an 10-year-old boy drowned near the same spot at the park.

This week, the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources reported it has been a particularly deadly summer on the water so far. Up to nine people have been died while boating, the most at this point of the year in more than a decade. Authorities also said the number of people who have drowned at beaches and swimming pools is also higher than average.

“There are too many families who won’t be seeing their loved ones again,” said Lt. Adam Block, boating law administrator for the DNR Enforcement Division. “It’s up to everyone who heads for the water to double-down on safety and prevent what should be a fun experience from turning tragic.”

The DNR safety offered the following suggestions for staying safe around the water:

• Wear a life jacket. All children, and adults should wear a life jacket anytime they’re around the water. Each year even adults who are good swimmers go under the water and never resurface.
• Avoid alcohol. Its effects are magnified on the water and the consequences can be deadly. About 40 percent of boating fatalities include alcohol.
• Designate a “water watcher.” This person puts down their cell phone or other distractions and focuses only on watching the water to ensure everyone is safe.
• Wade feet-first into the water to avoid jumping into an area where the current, depth and other conditions are unknown.
• Constantly supervise children while they’re in or near the water. Looking away even for a moment is enough time for tragedy to strike. Drowning often doesn’t involve yelling, screaming and waving of the arms. Rather, it often occurs silently.
• Swim only in designated swimming areas.

The American Red Cross offers more information and resources about swimming safely in lakes and rivers.