Being water-wise saves lives – maybe your own!
More than 450 Canadians die in preventable water-related incidents each year—most deaths, not surprisingly, happen between the months of May and September. This week is National Drowning Prevention Week in Canada so I decided to look in to the matter. Doing so reminded me of a near miss of my own when I was a kid.
My family belonged to a yacht club at the time. It really wasn’t as swanky as it sounds but my siblings and I spent many idyllic summers there in our youth. My brothers learned to sail, my sister gravitated to waterskiing and I split my time between the swimming pool and supervised playground.
As a wee one, I loved the wading pool where the water was about 12 inches deep, if that. Little did I know then that children under 5 years of age can drown in as little as one inch of water.
One day, at the age of 3 or 4 (not exactly sure!), I decided enough of this and, having escaped my mother’s watchful eye, jumped into the big pool. Even in the shallow end, the water was way over my head. It wasn’t long before the lifeguard (thankfully) fished me out: me, spluttering, gasping and coughing all at the same time, trying to catch my breath. After thanking the lifeguard profusely, my mother, feeling somewhat embarrassed and being the practical sort, said “Jennifer, if you want to swim in the big pool, you have to pass the pool test. Until then, stick to the wading pool.”
Swimming lessons started in earnest soon after that incident! I was determined to pass that pool test—which involved swimming two lengths of the 25-metre pool and treading water for five minutes—so I could swim with the big kids in the big pool. And, if I remember correctly, by the end of that fateful summer when I very nearly drowned, I was swimming in the big pool.
It wasn’t long before my whole life revolved around the pool. I’d jump on my bike every morning and ride down to the club for swim practice. Then I’d head over to the playground for some trampoline time (I loved the trampoline) before heading back to the pool for a swim lesson or water polo practice. My Mom, who by this time was confident that I wouldn’t drown, would head down with a picnic lunch for me and my siblings which we’d enjoy together on the beach. A trip to the canteen always followed. Red licorice or a fudgesicle were my go-to treats. Then I’d head back to the pool and hang out for the afternoon with friends, venturing back and forth to the playground at will. On really hot days, my Dad—having returned home from work in downtown Montreal—would join us for family swim. Those were the best days! Ahhhh, what fond memories I have of those carefree summer days…
I now realize just how lucky—some would say privileged—I was to spend my summers that way. Many aren’t so fortunate.
An estimated 320,000 people around the world drown each year, which makes drowning the third leading cause of unintentional injury and death worldwide. According to Parachute Canada, drownings and non-fatal drownings cost Canadians $191 million in 2018, the latest year for which figures are available. While the number of fatalities by drowning has gone down slightly in the last couple of years, the number of annual hospital emergency department visits due to water-related incidents exceeds 540 a year and hospitalizations due to non-fatal drownings are on the rise. Near-fatal drownings can result in significant life-long disability.
The highest rate of fatal drownings is among men 50-64 years at 25 per cent; adults 65 years+ aren’t far behind at 22 per cent while young adults aged 20-34 years account for 21 per cent of fatal drownings. Indigenous Canadians and newcomers to Canada are disproportionately represented in these tragic statistics.
Two thirds of all fatal drownings happen in natural bodies of water—in Canada’s abundant lakes/ponds and rivers—on weekends during the summer months when people are engaged in recreational activities such as swimming/wading and boating.
Drownings of children under 5 years of age are largely due to a lack of adult supervision or distracted supervision. Thankfully, there aren’t too many of them but even one is too many. Other major risk factors include: being alone in or around the water; not wearing a life jacket; and consuming alcohol and/or drugs.
Interestingly, less than 1 per cent of fatal drownings occur in lifeguard-supervised areas.
The saddest part is that drownings are largely preventable. As a young adult, I spent many summers lifeguarding and teaching kids how to swim. To me, teaching your kids to swim is not an option: it’s an obligation, a fundamental and critical survival skill that everyone needs to learn. Easy for me to say, I realize. Not everyone can afford swim lessons for their kids or for themselves and, with the current shortage of lifeguards and swim instructors, lessons are harder to come by.
That said, we can all take precautions to reduce the risk of drowning. Even capable swimmers should take heed. If you and your family and friends are in, on or by the water this summer, please take the following steps to ensure your safety.
Become certified in Emergency First Aid and Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR)—you never know when these lifesavings skills will be required.
Never swim or go out in a boat alone—the buddy system saves lives. Better still, swim with a buddy in areas where lifeguards are on duty.
And speaking of boats, always wear a life jacket when in one—with the wild weather swings that we’ve been experiencing, don’t leave things to chance.
Always supervise children in, on and around the water—put your phone away and pay close attention to what they’re doing and where they are. You should be within arm’s reach of young children. Lives can be lost in seconds.
As previously recommended, learn to swim, make sure your kids know how to swim—knowing how to swim and basic water safety are fundamental yet critical survival skills.
Stay sober in, on and around water—alcohol and cannabis use can impair your balance, judgment and reflexes, putting you and others at greater risk.
Here are some more resources on water safety:
I’ll be taking a break in August. Enjoy the rest of summer and stay/play safe—especially around the water! See you in September.