This summer’s news has been full of drowning incidents across Canada – toddlers, teenagers, adults and seniors have drowned in swimming pools, rivers, lakes and oceans. Noting the increasing numbers in Ontario, the coroner’s office has launched an investigation to find common factors and make recommendations to prevent similar deaths. It’s important to note that both strong swimmers and non-swimmers are at risk of drowning.

Typically, nearly 500 people drown each year in Canada, although the numbers appear to be rising in recent years. By the end of July, 75 people had drowned in Ontario, 11 more than the year before at that point. Many factors may be contributing to the increase. Temperatures have been high in much of Canada this summer, sending more people to the waterways to cool off. Many Canadians are still failing to wear lifejackets when they’re boating. And new immigrants to Canada are at particular risk when near water.

In fact, a study commissioned by the Lifesaving Society and released in July finds that although 79% of new Canadians planned to be in and around water this summer, they are four times more likely to be unable to swim (19%) than those born in Canada (4%). The study also indicated that new Canadians agree that learning to swim is a necessary life skill.

Still, swimming abilities are not enough to prevent drowning. Red Cross statistics suggest that 60% of recreational swimmers who drown have strong to average swimming ability. Among those who drown while boating, 90% are not wearing lifejackets and about a third involve alcohol. Men are much more likely to drown than women.

Reduce the risk of drowning

Here are tips offered by the Lifesaving Society and others:

• Take a lifesaving course and learn how to reduce the risk of drowning, as well as what to do if something goes wrong. At a minimum, make sure everyone in your family can achieve the Canadian Swim to Survive standard (which is designed to teach the minimal skills necessary to survive an unexpected fall into deep water.)
• When boating, always wear a lifejacket or personal flotation device and avoid all alcohol.
• Always closely supervise children; keep young children within arms’ reach and whenever possible, choose to swim in an area supervised by a lifeguard. Toddlers should wear lifejackets whenever they are near water.
• Restrict and control access to water. Enclose backyard pools on all four sides with a fence and a self-latching, self-closing gate; drain bathtubs when not in use and empty unattended wading pools and buckets.
• Be particularly aware of the risks of cold water, which can leave even strong swimmers unable to use their limbs properly, and the risks of currents and riptides.

Drowning can occur very quickly, in as little as 20 seconds, and is often silent. Here are links to some recent articles of interest on drowning:

Fewer lifeguards a factor in spike in drownings, is an article in The Globe and Mail, discussing how lifeguards have disappeared from many Ontario beaches.

The day I nearly died, is a personal essay in The Globe and Mail, written by a fit, middle-aged swimmer. Yet he nearly drowned last summer trying to swim back to a boat anchored off a popular Vancouver beach.

Drowning doesn’t look like drowning is another essay written by Mario Vittone, whose website focuses on water safety and drowning issues.

Finally, see How to Escape a Sinking Car. Manitoba professor and cold-water drowning expert, Gordon Giesbrecht, offers his tips on how to escape an incident that accounts for a surprising 10% of all drownings.