This week is recognized as National Drowning Prevention Week, so the Lifesaving Society of Manitoba gave some tips on drowning prevention.
Dr. Christopher Love is Lifesaving Society Manitoba's Water Smart and Safety Management Coordinator. He said the goal of this week and today is to raise awareness of the problem, and the ways to prevent drowning tragedies from happening.
"Annually every year in Canada we have approximately 450 who die due to drowning, and in Manitoba, it's on average 24 deaths per year. That's just the fatalities, that's not including any injuries that also occur due to drownings across the country."
He said some of the common, standard tips from anyone going around the water are:
- Never go alone
- Wear a life jacket when it's appropriate to do so (ie. when boating)
- Learn how to swim
- When children are swimming, have active adult supervision
- When the children are six years of age and under, you should be within arm's reach at all times.
- Be sober when around the water
Love also went into more detail when it comes to staying sober whether you're on a boat or just floating around.
"We're not trying to be killjoys and we're not saying don't have fun," said Love. "What we're saying is booze and boating don't mix, alcohol and swimming don't mix. You will become much more likely to become a statistic if you're under the influence when you're in or on the water."
With another very hot week ahead, you're encouraged to enjoy some time on the water; however, do so safely. Stay sober and if you're swimming with young children, make sure they are within arm's reach at all times and always swim with a friend.
