Soldiers and family members of 1st Special Forces Group (Airborne) compete in a 500m swim in American Lake at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Wash., in 2017. (Brandon Welsh/U.S. Army)
A monthlong ban on recreational swimming in lakes, rivers and bays at Joint Base Lewis-McChord will be lifted Saturday at noon, officials at the Washington base said.
The swimming ban was imposed July 19 after Army Chief Warrant Officer Hao Y. Li, 41, died July 15 just off Shoreline Beach Park at American Lake on the base.
Base officials said Thursday that while the cause of Li’s death remains under investigation, it would institute new safety procedures at waterways and lift the ban.
“As part of our commitment to caring for service members and their families, a review was conducted which focused on re-evaluating the current safety measures in place at American Lake,” said Lt. Col. Jennifer Bocanegra, a base spokeswoman. “This review led to the implementation of additional safety measures.”
The reopening of the waterways was posted Thursday to Lewis-McChord social media. Bocanegra said the new measures include:
• Implementing specific swimming lanes at American Lake.
• Depth markers to indicate shallower and deeper portions of the lake, which is 10 feet along most of the shoreline, but can quickly drop to as deep as 90 feet.
• Ring buoys and other lifesaving devices have been added on the shorelines.
• Increased military police patrols of the waterfront areas.
A GoFundMe webpage for Li’s family said the soldier drowned attempting to save his son Bo, who was struggling in the water at American Lake. Efforts to resuscitate Li and Bo were made, according to the page. Li’s son is recovering at an unspecified hospital. The page has raised $30,170 from 388 donations as of Friday morning — beyond the $30,000 goal to assist Li’s family with expenses related to his death.
Army Chief Warrant Officer Hao Y. Li, far right, with his wife Stephanie and son Bo in an undated photo. (GoFundMe webpage for Li family)
“Hao was known for his selflessness and deep love for his family,” the webpage reads. “His wife Stephanie, mother Kelly Li, and son Bo were the center of his universe. Hao was a brilliant Army warrant officer technician, an expert in his craft, selflessly dedicated to his soldiers, and a generously loyal friend. His legacy will live on in perpetuity through the memory and lives of all those he cared so deeply for.”
Base officials declined Friday to comment on the webpage and its version of Li’s death at American Lake, citing the ongoing investigation.
The Army and Air Force base is home to about 45,000 active-duty service members, along with their families and a large local population of military retirees.
At the time of the ban, base officials said swimming pools on the base were staffed with lifeguards, but American Lake and other natural waterways on the sprawling base were not.
The announcement by Lewis-McChord officials did not include the addition of new official lifeguards at American Lake or other areas.
American Lake spans 1.7 square miles on the west side of the base, near Puget Sound. It’s a popular day trip for military members and their families, with the Army, Air Force and National Guard each hosting facilities to be used by service members. Besides swimming, the lake is popular for fishing, boating and water sports. The Army also uses it for Special Forces and parachute training.
The ban only affected the use of the lake on Lewis-McChord land by personnel under the base leaders’ jurisdiction. A portion of the lake, which includes two state park beaches and the Thornewood Castle luxury resort, is outside the base and remained open to the public.
Army officials had said Li was from Virginia and had served 19 years in the Army, including two deployments to Iraq. He was a logistics specialist and had been awarded a commendation for recruiting efforts.
