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Swimming risks....Long Island Sound, Devils lake....?

xrayspex

Senior Member
Messages
1,111
Location
u.s.a.
I am from midwest so did most of my swimming here when was younger. One time we visited Conn and they took us swimming in Long Island Sound. Did people know it was risky pollution back then? I suspected after swimming in Devils Lake in Midwest that I was hosed a bit after that, was a year before the big decline.
I don't know anything about Long Island Sound though and thought I would check on here and see if anyone from that area and any thoughts on risks of that. I have a number of suspected conspiring situations in my life that I think contributed to my health issues but every once in the while a remote realization comes to me about a possible other factor.......
 

xrayspex

Senior Member
Messages
1,111
Location
u.s.a.
oh my, i just realized that Niantic, where I was staying, is in East Lyme? huh, wasnt that ground zero in the 70s for lymes disease epidemic beginnings?
 
Messages
78
I grew up swimming in Lake Erie in the summer, in the 1970s, I didn't live along the lake but my cousins did so swam when we'd visit. I remember the algae being so thick it would get into your swimsuit. Of course you couldn't see anything underwater either. Probably not the best idea looking back...then again, public pools are really nasty too. Just wanted to share...
 

Sing

Senior Member
Messages
1,782
Location
New England
I grew up swimming in Long Island Sound back in the days when restaurants and boats released their sewage freely and fuel barges plowed through, always spilling a little oil. Had lots of ear infections and bronchitis, so learned to use ear plugs and a nose clip faithfully. Swam (swimmed, went swimming) all the time. Ran and played in the fields. Got loads of dog ticks. Learned to check for ticks faithfully. Climbed trees and built forts with the other children. Explored freely. Learned to ride a horse. Fell off plenty. Nobody worried about lawsuits or accidents. We got banged up a lot. Children had a good time outside and what was then a small, nice community. But bad water, sickness, ticks--Yes. Quite a few older people had polio--even some my age. It was partly before the Salk vaccine. That is actually how I think my system got knocked down-with an enterovirus. Still, despite the pollution, it was a beautiful place to grow up.