It is always a tragic event when anyone has a nice outing on the river planned and a drowning occurs.

That was the case this week. Prairieville native and New Orleans resident Edmund Emerson Adams, 32, and a group of friends were tubing on the Bogue Chitto River Wednesday at River Adventure in the Isabel Community. The innertube somehow got away from Adams, and he disappeared beneath the water.

The Washington Parish Sheriff’s Office recovered the body of Adams Friday morning near where he was last seen. He was not wearing a life jacket.

Our thoughts go out to the man’s family and friends.

Sadly, this is the kind of accident that repeats itself over and over during the summer months whenever alcohol and water are mixed together. It shouldn’t be that way if people simply use common sense while they are on the water.

Law enforcement officials will quickly tell people not to drink while on the water because people’s reaction times are slowed because of the alcohol use. And always, always wear a life preserver.

There is a lot of summer left, so people need to learn a lesson from this drowning.

There does not need to be any more deaths such as this.

Use common sense on the river and live.