One drowning and another near drowning in the span of three days is more than enough turn the heads of area residents and park commissioners - and rightfully it has.

An 11-year-old boy drowned Saturday at the Grand River’s Bunker Road Landing, and Mohammad Sohaib Fida, 13, nearly drowned July 4 at Lake Lansing Park South. Fida remains in critical condition at Lansing’s Sparrow Hospital, 1215 E. Michigan Ave.

Fida’s story has Ingham County commissioners rethinking an earlier decision to not hire lifeguards at Lake Lansing this season to meet the demand of a tight budget. It is the first season since the late 1970s that the park has been without them. Commissioners plan to discuss today the possibility of putting lifeguards back on the Lake Lansing shore. They will not talk about putting lifeguards at Bunker Road Landing, as it is meant to be a boat launch and not a place for recreational swimming.

Ingham County Commissioner Mark Grebner said a charge to enter county parks may be implemented to pay for the cost of lifeguards. The finance chairman said commissioners discussed a park fee earlier, but decided against it at the demands of residents. Instead, the policy makers removed lifeguards from the county’s beaches.

Parkgoers should not find a problem with a $3 entry fee to swim at the county’s recreational spots. It’s a small price to pay to save a life.

Lifeguards are a crucial part of protecting our loved ones at the water’s edge. It is not to say tragedy will never strike with them present, but chances are greatly decreased.

We all can help make lifeguard’s job a little easier by heeding safety advice, such as always swimming with another person, and not relying on air-filled devices such as “water wings” to act as life jackets.

We hope that the recent tragedies bring a proper perspective to people’s outlooks on summer fun. There are many things that area residents can do to make sure everybody has a safe and happy season.