As National Drowning Prevention Week kicks off on Sunday, Lifesaving Society Canada is reminding everyone of some important safety tips to practice when around water.
Every year the events occurs in the third week of July.
“The 3rd week of July is chosen each year as statistics show that is the period when the highest number of drownings occur,” said Lifesaving Society Canada Executive Director Dale Miller in a press release.
“Despite a downward trend, drowning is still the third leading cause of unintentional death in Canada.”
According to the society, there have been 16 drownings in B.C. to date compared to 26 this time last year.
Luckily for one Kelowna couple out enjoying Okanagan Lake in their kayaks on Sunday, they were wearing properly-fitted life vests. Jacque Morrow and her wife Valerie admitted that’s not always the case for them, but after a scary incident involving their dog out in the middle of the lake, they plan to always wear a PFD while out on the water.
“I had to get out of the boat and go and grab her (their dog), and put her into Val’s boat, and in the meantime my boat filled up with water,” described Jacque.
“It flipped over in the rush and I don’t even know what would have happened if we wouldn’t have had our lifejackets on.”
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The incident left the two feeling understandably shaken up, but it serves as a great reminder about being prepared when going out on the water.
“Oh absolutely, It wasn’t fun,” Jacque expressed.
The society added that Indigenous, northern and new Canadians have disproportionately high drowning rates.
“In Canada, over 400 people drown annually, making it the second leading cause of unintentional death for children and the third leading cause of unintentional death for adults,” said Miller.
“The mission of the Lifesaving Society is prevention, and we are aiming for zero drownings as we know they are all preventable.”
Statistics show that almost 70 percent of drowning victims never intended to go into the water and were often within 15 metres of safety.
During National Drowning Prevention Week, the society will be educating Canadians and promoting safety awareness.
To help reduce drowning, the society encourages all Canadians to:
- Take swimming lessons and basic first aid training.
- Wear a properly fitted lifejacket when on a boat.
- Avoid alcohol or drugs while participating in aquatic activities.
- Ensure children are under the direct supervision of an adult when around barrier-free bodies of water.
- Ensure backyard pools have four-sided fencing with a self-closing, self-latching gate.
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