Identify risks to prevent drowning

By Sean Feagan, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Drowning, while preventable, happens all too often. 

Over 400 people die every year in Canada from drowning, according to Kelly Carter, chief executive officer of the Lifesaving Society. To raise awareness about drowning, Strathmore town council declared July 19 to 25 as National Drowning Prevention Week.

Drowning is the third leading cause of death among Canadians under the age of 60, according to the Canadian Drowning Report, 2019 Edition. Males are much more likely to be the victim of drowning (79 per cent of cases).

Children are also susceptible to drowning. They should be supervised, within arm’s reach, in and around the water at all times.

“Watch me, not your phone” is an axiom stressed by Judy Unsworth, deputy fire chief with the Town of Strathmore. “Distractions are deadly,” she said in a statement.

In Alberta and the Northwest Territories, between 2007 and 2016, 100 per cent of child drowning deaths occurred due to absent or distracted adult supervision, according to the report. It can happen silently and quickly – a child can drown in under 30 seconds.

Unattended toddlers are high risk because they are mobile, curious and require close and constant supervision, according to the report. Children under five years old are the least capable of self-rescue of any age group.

When many think of drowning, they often think of a waterbodies such as lakes and ponds (34 per cent of cases), rivers (28 per cent of cases) or the ocean (seven per cent cases). But baths can be deadly too (12 per cent of cases), particularly for infants: 100 per cent of drowning deaths among infants under a year in age from 2011 to 2015 occurred in a bathtub.

Backyard pools are another source of risk (nine per cent of cases). Residents should control access to water with layers of protection, such as gates, fences or alarms. Even toddler pools should be drained anytime an adult is not providing supervision.

Being intoxicated around water is particularly dangerous. While participating in aquatic activities, people should avoid drugs and alcohol, which can alter judgment, reflexes and balance. Alcohol consumption is a factor in almost 40 per cent of boating-related fatalities, said Unsworth.

When boating, wearing a lifejacket when boating should be second nature, like wearing a seatbelt in a car. Not wearing a lifejacket was a factor in 74 per cent of boating deaths.

Other smart and safe practices include swimming or boating with a buddy or enrolling in learn-to-swim, lifesaving or first aid classes.