Although it has been a couple of months since we all turned back the clocks in anticipation of longer days, somehow with each passing week, the sun continues to provide us with even more daylight. This, along with the warming weather tells me that summer is officially on its way. Soon it will be time for outdoor barbecues, afternoons by the pool, and water skiing at the lake. In honor of the rapidly approaching summer months and activities we associate with the season, I’ve assigned our May/June issue a water safety theme.

As any of us who have survived a summer in the Valley can attest, the kind of heat we experience here has many of us running for a quick cool-down in the water. At a pool, a lake, or the ocean, being safe is of utmost importance. Be it a young child wandering too close to a beckoning poolside or the most experienced and confident outdoorsman slipping off of a rock into a waterfall while on a hike, a water emergency could arise at any moment, when we’re not practicing safety and good judgment.

In the Briefing this issue, writer Aaron Collins discusses tales of local rescue with Tulare County’s Dive/Swiftwater Unit Sgt. Jim Franks, who shares accounts of lives he’s seen spared as well as some of the unfortunate incidents that he wishes he could forget.

Also in this issue we’ve brought back our Off Duty profile, this time highlighting Tulare Police Officer Derek Burrell, who found an alternate path in life through sports and positive mentors and has since dedicated his life to coaching and mentoring kids that remind him of himself years ago.

An article this issue with a not-too-common ending is that of the story of Christian Pendergraft, a young toddler who disappeared from his mother’s watchful eye and into the backyard where he chased a ball into the pool and nearly drowned. Both adorable and incredibly lucky, this tot has a story that you do not want to miss.

As we welcome the warmth of summer with open arms and all of the fun—at home, in the outdoors, on dry land, and in the water—that comes with it, I wish everyone a safe and happy season.