News Interviews April 2009

Minnesota Cold Water Awareness Day - Saturday - April 18, 2009

A report by Ron Jacobson, Brian James Jacobson's grandfather

The fifth annual Minnesota Cold Water Awareness Day has been proclaimed by Governor Tim Pawlenty for Saturday, April 18, 2009. For the past four years coldwaterwarning.com has held a news conference to promote water safety and to educate folks, especially young swimmers, about the danger of cold water. This year we will NOT hold a news conference at riverside on Harriet Island. Instead, we have sent out a Media Advisory and provided names and phone numbers of specialists who are willing to be interviewed and who work to make water recreation safe and who are there to provide rescue operations if needed.

We are very happy to report that in the past five years all whom we have asked to participate in our educational efforts have said yes and more - what can we do. It is as if we all know how important this message is - cold water is dangerous and can cause drowning. Youngsters must learn about this - and it is up to us adults to educate them. I believe that if my grandson (who drowned in cold water five years ago) had been taught that could water can take away his strength to swim, he would most likely be alive and with us today. I believe it was cold shock and swimming failure, not hypothermia, that were the reasons my grandson drowned. If he had known - and if he had worn a life jacket - things might have been different.

We are so fortunate to be in Minnesota and the land of 10,000 lakes. Enjoy the lakes - and make them safe for everyone - especially the young in the spring. Please teach youngsters about cold water awareness and the need to wear life jackets when boating. Thanks.

This is a copy of our new banner. It consists of elements that were on previous cold water items. The polar bear is from an earlier button that we made - designed by Gare Frick. The water safety column of information is from earlier book markers which we made two years in a row - thanks to a generous donation from Tops Pizza in Rosemount, MN. And the title is from last year's banner which we designed for the 2008 Harriet Island news conference. What we hope we have here is an interesting picture that attracts youngsters - the bear and the sign - and the column of info for mom or dad or a friend to read to the youngster. It is important for the youngster to beware of the danger of cold water - and to wear a life jacket! We all must be teachers.

The banner is 3 x 4 feet and will be used behind an information table we hope to have at various gatherings of children and adults.

We did make some table top signs of the banner measuring 12 x 16 inches with a standard so that they would stand on the top of the table or shelf. We distributed these signs to merchants in the St. Paul skyway system who were happy to post them for visitors to see. Here are a two posting locations: St. Paul Classic Cookie Co with owner Katie Novotny and Colors with artist Frank Brown. Thank you Katie and Frank.

So far this year we have been contacted by a tv station and a radio station who want to cover the Governor's proclaimed Minnesota Cold Water Awareness Day, 4/18/2009.

Fox 9 interviewed Ron Jacobson at Crystal Lake in Dakota County as well as a boating family with youngsters. It gave good information and we thank channel 9 and Rob Olson for doing this. Here are two screen shots of the report that was broadcasted on Thursday evening, 4/16, at 9:30 pm.

WCCO Radio also interviewed Ron and it is on their website.

We thank everyone who is helping to make Minnesota youngsters smart about water safety: wear a life jacket and beware of the danger of cold water.

Lastly, we want to show the Governor's proclamation and to thank Governor Tim Pawlenty for his continued support. We also wish to thank State Representative Phil Sterner for his support.