BUFFALO, N.Y. — We all know there are some places for people to cool off that may be tempting but not really safe. With the temptation can come danger.
You still see the signs for the operating hours at the Centennial Pool in the newly named Ralph Wilson Park. But it's sad to realize it is closed just like all the Buffalo outdoor city pools due to the lack of lifeguards the city could hire, so only the Cazenovia and Lovejoy indoor pools remain open.
Back in Ralph Wilson Park, the splash pad is the only option for kids and parents trying to beat the summer heat, and with the possibility kids may go elsewhere, there are some concerns.
"I'm worried about the children that don't have a swimming pool in their backyard, or neighbors that let them go in the backyard, because where are they going to end getting cool," Angela Esquilin of Buffalo said.
"They're going to end up going to the lake, or wherever they're going to go, and get in trouble or get hurt."
One of those spots that can draw young people is the Black Rock Canal, with the lift bridge, which some think can be used as a diving platform. Surrounding warning signs try to keep people out, but there have been tragic drownings here before.
Sam Lozea was walking with his relatives along the path of Broderick Park, enjoying the breeze off the Niagara River. But he remembers as a kid taking a plunge nearby.
"I used to do it with the sewer pipe area. I remember having a dock. I used to do it. Yeah, it was kind of dangerous, so you know," Lozea said.
Now perhaps older and wiser to the danger factor, he says, "Today I looked at the river, and it's high. And in the canal you can get seaweed and wire and other debris in there, and it can tie you up, so it can be dangerous."
A Buffalo Police spokesman says they do have their patrols checking the waterways, including the Union Ship Channel in South Buffalo, this time of year.
Again, there is a reminder that the swift currents and debris in the waterways could make a cooling dip very dangerous.