Another deadly reminder

We're asking Kootenai County teens to ensure their peer and, to many, their good friend Reggie Nault did not die in vain.

Reggie, 16, drowned Tuesday evening in Lake Coeur d'Alene. According to reports, he fell from a moving boat. Witnesses said without a personal flotation device, Reggie immediately disappeared into the water.

By all accounts, Reggie Nault was a smart young man and a talented athlete. Alcohol is not believed to have played a role in this tragedy, so if Reggie could drown that quickly and easily, imagine the odds of you or your loved ones surviving a similar accident.

Reggie's death was the second drowning on Lake Coeur d'Alene in a week. The previous Monday, Kootenai County Sheriff's Office divers recovered the body of 63-year-old Thomas M. Fritz of Spokane. According to reports, Fritz wasn't wearing a personal flotation device, either.

While there's no guarantee either of these victims would have survived had they been wearing a PFD, their doom was sealed without one. That makes both tragedies even harder to accept.

Nobody can force you to wear a seat belt or a life jacket or a hunting vest. But please, whether you're 16 or 63, understand that a little precaution can pay the very largest of dividends.

Our sympathy goes to Reggie's family and to his many friends. We extend appreciation to Coeur d'Alene High School for responding so quickly and sensitively to the tragedy by reaching out to classmates who needed help in dealing with this devastating loss.

Let's be safe and make sure it's the last loss on the lake for a long, long time.