TheBakersfieldCalifornian.com

The so-called "killer" Kern River has fallen behind backyard swimming pools for drowning deaths in Kern County.

In the last three years, pool drownings have surpassed those the Kern River, the Kern County coroner's staff has reported.

So far this year there have been seven drownings in pools compared to just four in the river.

And many of those deaths have been children.

So far, five local children under the age of 10 have drowned this year.

That's just behind six in 2007, the worst year for local children drownings since 2000.

Bakersfield Fire Chief Ron Fraze, whose firefighters go to residential drowning reports, urged all parents and guardians not to let young children out of their sight around pools.

Leaving a child to answer "one 'quick' phone call can make the difference in the life or death of a child," he said.

He noted that a lot of floatation devices, such as the floaties slipped over children's arms, "just don't work."

Swimming lessons are a better safety device, he said.

It's not surprising that pools and spas have more drownings than the Kern River, said sheriff's Search and Rescue leader Lt. David Barker.

On a busy hot weekend, perhaps 1,000 people go in the river whereas tens of thousands go into pools and spas, he said.

"People drown where water is most accessible," he said.

Still, he reminded people that the river is still a dangerous place. "It can look benign, but under the surface, it's quite treacherous," he said.

Going in without a lifejacket is an invitation for trouble, Barker said.

People are getting that message because the number or river drownings per year has been in single digits since 1993.

The record was set in 1986 with 15 and there were six other double digit years between 1969 and 1992.