Kevin tests water at local swimming hole

TERRE HAUTE, Ind. (WTHI) - James Whitcomb Riley, the Hoosier poet, once wrote, "Oh the old swimmin' hole in the happy days of yore."

It sounds simple and romantic, but Riley's “happy days of yore” are gone, along with the “old swimmin' hole.”

"If you go under and the water is murky, even if you're a few feet away, your friend can't see you," said Vigo County Sheriff Deputy Clark Cottom.

We went to a popular swimming hole here in the Wabash Valley and not only is the water murky, you don't know what's in the water. So, we decided to take a sample of this water and have it tested.

We took the water sample to EC Labs in Farmersburg to have it tested and the sample came back within state boundaries, but barely.

Not only could the water be dangerous, but there are other dangers out there too.

"Up at Mill Dam on Park Avenue, people love to wade out into the water, but it's very dangerous. We've had more than one fatality there," said Cottom.

And it isn’t just Mill Dam that is dangerous.

"Strip pits are dangerous, too. They are literally lined with old machinery, equipment, abandoned cars. They are very dangerous," said Cottom.

So, while James Whitcomb Riley made the “old swimmin' hole” sound romantic, in fact, it's very dangerous.

Stick to pools and authorized areas and stay safe while swimming this summer.