Borderland Beach-Goers at Leasburg Dam State Park

Enter at your own risk. With no lifeguard, another drowning seems just as probable as last summer at Leasburg Dam State Park — and the fear, even greater.

“It’s dangerous,? Maria Nunez, who traveled from El Paso, said. “They risk their own life to have fun out here.?

Potential risks may be the last thing on their mind. For hundreds of beachgoers from El Paso, nothing seems more refreshing than dipping into the Rio Grande.

“What’s real fun is getting on the tubes, and the strong current brings you all the way over here,” Benjamin Cera, who traveled from El Paso with a group of 20 family and friends, said. With no lifeguards, it means visitors to the state park need to be more vigilant and watch out for each other.

“Them drowning — that’s my biggest fear,” Jovanna Corral, with her two sons, said. Corral?s taking all the safety precautions she can , she said. Equipped with floaties and life jackets, her 7-year-old son, Marcelo, and 2- year-old son, Houlian, are ready to take the plunge.

“These (floaties and life jackets) are just peace of mind for me, in addition to me keeping an eye on them,” Corral said.

Holding onto mom?s hands, Corral said , the boys are not allowed in the river alone. But ABC-7 saw plenty of other free-floaters.

“Well, actually, the water’s not that deep,? Pedro Garcia, an 11-year-old from Horizon City, said.

Despite sandbars and seemingly shallow water, swift currents pulled a 7- year-old girl underneath last summer. The drowning of Liesha Quinonez is a reminder to parents the shallow currents can be deceiving.

“The water attracts them, it’s fun for them,? Corral said. ?But as a parent, you’re always concerned it could be a hazard if you’re not close by.”