LIFESAVING SOCIETY WARNS THAT THE NEXT 4 WEEKS IS WHEN THE GREATEST NUMBER OF DROWNINGS OCCUR
National Drowning Prevention Week, July 19-27, 2014
Toronto, ON – July 15, 2014:
It is the middle of summer, and while the Lifesaving Society is pleased to report that drownings are a bit lower this year than last, it’s no time to let down your guard about water safety. In fact the next 30 days is the worst time of year for drownings.
This is peak drowning season. Of the drownings reported in 2013, 16 people drowned between July 15 and August 15 and 25 drowned during the same period in 2012. According to the Lifesaving Society’s 2014 Ontario Drowning Report which includes statistics from 2002 to 2011, 35% of all drownings occur in July and August.
This means 66% of people who have drowned this year did not even intend to be in the water.
The Society encourages people of all ages to be prepared for an unexpected entry into the water by wearing a lifejacket when boating and learning how to swim.
At the mid-summer mark, the Lifesaving Society reports that 47 people have drowned in Ontario this year and cautions everyone to focus on water safety during this peak drowning season. To date, 2014 drownings include a staggering increase in boating fatalities (+90%) and a significant increase in those who fell into the water (+71%) – 19 people drowned while boating (versus 10 in 2013 to date) and 12 people who were near or on water and fell in (versus 7 in 2013).
This means 66% of people who have drowned this year did not even intend to be in the water.
The Society encourages people of all ages to be prepared for an unexpected entry into the water by wearing a lifejacket when boating and learning how to swim.
"It was a slow start to summer this year with much colder water. Unexpectedly falling into the water is completely different than diving in or choosing to enter the water," says Barbara Byers, Public Education Director with the Lifesaving Society. "You need to be prepared. The shock of falling into water when the water is cold can cause a person to gasp and inhale water and unless they are a strong swimmer and able to survive that experience, drowning can occur very quickly."
The Society recommends that all passengers in a boat wear a lifejacket and that all Canadians be able to achieve at least the Swim to Survive standard to ensure they can survive an unexpected fall into deep water.
