‘Very quickly and very silently’: Drowning risks highlighted as summer arrives

With summer here, health officials are urging you to take the necessary steps to avoid the “absolutely preventable” tragedy of drowning.

Every year, nearly 80 people lose their lives in drownings across the province, according to Shelina Babul, director of the B.C. Children’s Hospital Injury Research and Prevention Unit.

Almost eight in 10 of those deaths are among men, with the highest risk age categories being 18-34 and children younger than five.

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“The misnomer is that if someone is drowning, you can hear them,” she said.

“That’s not necessarily true. Drownings happen very quickly and very silently … it’s not like the movies where you see them flapping their arms and yelling for help.”

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Babul is urging the public, and parents in particular, to exercise caution when recreating on or near the water so as not to become a statistic.

She said swimming lessons are strongly encouraged, noting the Lifesaving Society recommends starting kids as young as four months to help them get used to being in the water.

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Alcohol and drugs should never, ever be used while operating a boat or swimming, she added, explaining that 40 per cent of all drownings involve drinking.

People who are boating or paddling, she said, should make sure they have their life jacket on at all times. If you fall into the water, she said, you won’t be able to put it on.

“If you are a weak swimmer, stay close to shore,” she added, explaining that many people overestimate their ability, then become fatigued or slightly hypothermic and lose too much energy to return to shore.

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And finally, she has advice for parents both at the beach and at home.

“Supervision. That is of utmost importance. If you’ve got young children, make sure you are within arm’s reach of them,” she said.

“When you have a young child or an infant, (they) can drown in a bathtub in as little as 1 inch, 2.5 cm, you want to be vigilant at all times. Parents get sidetracked by the phone ringing, cooking, something on the stove — make sure you don’t have any distractions.”

Drowning is the number one cause of death among children aged one to four years old, and the second leading cause of death for children under 10 years old.