Recent drowning deaths highlight need for water safety
Posted Jul 2, 2019 12:07 pm.
Last Updated Jul 2, 2019 12:28 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
CALGARY (660 NEWS) – The Canada Safety Council is speaking out following a terrible weekend on southern Alberta waterways.
Three men are presumed drowned following three separate incidents, one in Banff National Park, the other two on the Highwood and Clearwater rivers.
READ MORE: A tragic Canada Day long weekend in Alberta parks
The deaths are renewing calls for safety on the water especially with summer already in full force in Alberta.
Lewis Smith with the Canada Safety Council says the most important piece of advice can be boiled down to the buddy system.
“It’s always important that you be surrounded by somebody because drowning is a silent killer, it can happen in seconds and if there’s no one around to see signs of distress pop up, it might be too late.”
WATCH: Third person presumed drowned after weekend river trip
Smith admits that lifejackets are a must for anyone, especially during boating activities. However, you should also know how to get to safety in the event of a water emergency.
“In a situation where you’re thrown overboard unexpectedly, you want to be able to keep your head above water, you want to be able to not be taken over by the currents. If you’re navigating on the water thinking, ‘it happens to the other guy but it’ll never happen to me’, the problem is to the other guy, you are the other guy.”
According to stats from the Life Saving Society of Canada, the number of drowning deaths reached nearly 300 just two years ago.
Alberta was one of only three provinces and territories to see an increase in the rate of drowning deaths from 2011-2015.
The Society and Smith agree that many of these deaths are preventable and that one piece of advice is often overlooked or ignored.
“A key factor in any kind of drowning, especially among adults, is alcohol ingestion. It’s important to remember that whether you’re on a boat or whether you’re in the water, alcohol and water just don’t mix.”
For more information on water safety, you can visit the Canada Safety Council website and the Life Saving Society of Canada.
