With the unofficial start of summer quickly approaching, the water becomes a big attraction to cool off, and anyone can disappear in a second.
"Very nerve-wracking," said Natasha Cacciatore, a mom of two. "You hear horror stories every summer, it's one of my biggest fears."
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Safety around the water is something she thinks about all the time.
"We play by the rules," she said. "We make sure there's an adult around at all times when you go near the water."
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But every summer, perfect beach days too often become tragic, with many drownings taking place in pools, ponds, lakes and the ocean.
In Massachusetts, there were more than 50 drownings in 2021.
"Be a good partner," said Jeanne Benincasa Thorpe, the state's undersecretary for homeland security at the Executive Office of Public Safety and Security. "Good steward to those folks who are around you, whether they’re yours or not, we're all mothers and parents, and I understand that sometimes we lose track, if we see something, say something."
State officials are reminding people to swim in designated areas only, not to swim alone, and to speak up the moment someone may be missing.
Sixteen DCR beaches will be opening up on Saturday with lifeguards on the weekends.
More beaches will open up in the weeks ahead with lifeguards seven days a week.
"We're excited to invite the public to come out to our waterfronts," said Stephanie Cooper, acting commissioner of the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation. "And if people follow the rules, follow the advice, they'll be safe."
