April 5 is Minnesota Cold Water Awareness day. The sun may be shining but the water in our lakes takes a lot longer to warm up, even after the ice has melted.

On April 30 2004, nine-year-old Brian Jacobson jumped into a lake near his south Minneapolis home. He was a strong and confident swimmer, but the shock of the cold water seriously impaired his swimming ability and he never made it back to shore.

Brian's family and friends formed ColdWaterWarning to educate families, parents, teachers, caregivers and children about the dangers of swimming in cold water. Jumping or falling into cold water causes shock, paralyzes arms and legs, and causes an instinctive gasp reflex that makes the swimmer inhale up to three quarts of air - or water, if their head is below the surface. If the swimmer is not rescued immediately then drowning is highly likely, especially if they are not wearing a life jacket. Children are especially vunerable.

On April 5, ColdWaterWarning, the Twin Cities Red Cross, the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, and the Ramsey County Sherrif's Water Patrol will be on the banks of the Mississippi in downtown St. Paul to share information and cold water safety tips and advice.

Our lakes won't be warm enough to swim in for several months yet. Please pass this along to friends and family, especially those with children.

• ColdWaterWarning
• American Red Cross Cold Water Safety Tips

_{Lake of the Isles is still frozen in April. Photo © Clara James}