Man drowns in Big Lake

BIG LAKE -- Divers from the Mat-Su Dive Rescue Team recovered the body of Jay Dee Surratt from 25 feet of water in Big Lake on Tuesday. The 60-year-old Big Lake resident reportedly had fallen from a boat about 100 yards from shore at 9:40 p.m. the previous day.

Alaska State Troopers in Palmer said a witness talked to Surratt in the water, but after three minutes he went under and did not resurface. Surratt was a good swimmer but was not wearing a flotation device, troopers said.

Members of the dive team looked for Surratt Monday until poor light conditions stopped the search. Troopers said there were no suspicious circumstances surrounding the drowning, which was the first of the season locally.

With warmer weather on the way, public safety officials are warning people to be safety conscious when they take to the water.

Wearing life jackets and avoiding alcohol while boating or Jet-skiing can significantly cut the number of injuries or deaths during summer months, they say. Statistics show that half of all drowning victims violated both those rules.

Alaska State Parks has water safety informational brochures at many Mat-Su parks. A program called "Kids Don't Float" -- started locally by a mother whose son drowned -- offers free use of PFDs at racks at local parks. In addition, the parks division has developed a water safety curriculum for students in Mat-Su Borough School District, funded by the federal government.

Polar fleece clothing is better than cotton when boating because it is quicker to dry after getting wet, thus cutting the chance of hypothermia, according to Rob Czarnezki, who helps administer the water safety program in schools.

Buz Blaisdell, another state parks resource technician who works with students, said vectoring is critical to getting out of a swift current. He advises moving with the stream toward shore rather than fighting across the current.

Czarnezki and Blaisdell emphasize that it's particularly important for Alaskans to be wary around water because the state's per-capita drowning rate is 10 times the national average. Cold glacial water and powerful currents make Alaska streams especially dangerous.