Recent death a sobering reminder of need for water safety measures

Jeffery Barksdale, 17, died June 10 while jet-skiing on Lake Down in Windermere

By Amy Quesinberry
| 10:55 a.m. June 23, 2021

Southwest Orange
News

It’s summertime, and in Florida that means plenty of outdoor activities, including boat outings, beach trips and pool parties. But with the fun comes a necessity for safety.

Central Florida has its share of lakes, and the Windermere area offers an abundance of open waters.

Windermere’s Lake Down made headlines earlier this month when 17-year-old Jeffery Barksdale and a cousin, 20-year-old C.J. Walker, fell off a jet ski around 8:30 p.m. June 10. Walker, a basketball player at the University of Central Florida, was rescued and taken to a nearby hospital. Divers with the Orange County Sheriff’s Office Marine Unit found Barksdale’s body the following afternoon.

WATER SAFETY

The Orange County Sheriff’s Office offers general water safety tips for residents and visitors that apply to all bodies of water: lakes, beaches, pools and water parks.

• Learn to swim. The best thing anyone can do to stay safe in and around the water is to learn to swim. Always swim with a buddy.

• Swim in areas supervised by a lifeguard. Read and obey all rules and posted signs.

• Children or inexperienced swimmers should take precautions, such as wearing a U.S. Coast Guard-approved personal floatation device when around the water.

• Watch out for the dangerous “too’s” — too tired, too cold, too far from safety, too much sun, too much strenuous activity.

• Set water safety rules for the whole family based on swimming abilities (for example, inexperienced swimmers should stay in water less than chest deep).

• Be knowledgeable of the water environment you are in and its potential hazards, such as deep and shallow areas, currents, depth changes, obstructions, and where the entry and exit points are located. The more informed you are, the more aware you will be of hazards and safe practices.

• Pay attention to local weather conditions and forecasts. Stop swimming at the first indication of bad weather.

• Use a feet-first entry when entering the water.

• Enter headfirst only when the area is clearly marked for diving and has no obstructions.

• Do not mix alcohol with swimming, diving or boating. Alcohol impairs your judgment, balance and coordination; affects your swimming and diving skills; and reduces your body's ability to stay warm.

• Know how to prevent, recognize and respond to emergencies.

“It is a tragedy that, unfortunately, could have been avoided,” Windermere Town Manager Robert Smith said. “Our thoughts and prayers go out to the family.”

Lake Down is one of 13 lakes in the Butler Chain of Lakes. Five are located in the town of Windermere: lakes Butler, Down, Bessie and Crescent, and Wauseon Bay. The town operates two private boat ramps. One at Fernwood Park, at Seventh Avenue and Forest Street, gives access to Lake Butler. The second is located at Lake Bessie Park, at Ninth Avenue and Lake Bessie, which provides access to the landlocked Lake Bessie.

One public ramp with access to Lake Down is located on Conroy Windermere Road and is operated by Orange County. It has access to Lake down.

Smith said a common misconception is that the town of Windermere has jurisdiction of the lakes.

“The town only has jurisdiction to the normal high-water elevation,” he said. “The county and state have actual jurisdiction on the lakes.”

The Orange County Sheriff’s Office provides a boater’s guide on its website, ocso.com. It is Florida law that anyone born after Jan. 1, 1988, is required to take a state boating course before operating one.

Neither the town of Windermere or the OCSO offer boating safety courses, but several courses are available by the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary; the U.S. Power Squadrons, a national nonprofit boating organization; and state boating agencies, including the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.

Call (800) 336-BOAT for information on courses, which are offered both in the classroom and online.

The OCSO Marine Unit has been in place for more than 30 years, with five deputies. Six deputies are assigned to the Agricultural Crimes Unit but are cross-certified with the Marine Unit; five supervisors also are certified.

author

Amy Quesinberry

Community Editor Amy Quesinberry was born at the old West Orange Memorial Hospital and raised in Winter Garden. Aside from earning her journalism degree from the University of Georgia, she hasn’t strayed too far from her hometown and her three-mile bubble. She grew up reading The Winter Garden Times and knew in the eighth grade she wanted to write for her community newspaper. She has been part of the writing and editing team since 1990.