Safety and prevention tips offered during National Drowning Prevention Week

Pike and City of Kamloops aquatics program supervisor Micah Strecheniuk were asked to share thoughts on safety and prevention.

“It’s a very present concern now during the summer months because we see about two-thirds of all of our drowning-related deaths in British Columbia occur during this warm period when people are heading out to the lakes, beaches, rivers, swimming pools and making use of their backyard pools if they have them,” said Pike.

There were 98 accidental drowning deaths last year in B.C., down from 119 in 2023. Thirty-four per cent of those fatalities occurred in the Interior Health region, according to the BC Coroners Service (BCCS).

Earlier this month in Kamloops, 27-year-old international student Jatin Garg died after attempting to retrieve a volleyball from the Thompson River, in which 11 accidental drowning deaths occurred between 2014 and 2024.

“The river is the most dangerous place to swim in Kamloops and if you can make a better choice for yourself, that is the best option,” said Strecheniuk, noting less than one per cent of drownings take place in supervised pools.

“If you are going to be visiting a lake or a river, be prepared. Know the conditions of that water. Also, never swim alone. Always have someone with you. If you have children with you, it’s very important that they are closely supervised. Drowning takes a few seconds, especially for those younger children, so being within arm’s reach of younger children around the water is important.”

The Riverside Park beach area is the only designated open-water swimming site within city limits, with lifeguards on duty from July 1 to the middle of August.

“Moving water is a very serious concern and should not be messed with,” Pike said. “It’s fun to play in it, but unless you have experience with moving water and you are a very accomplished swimmer, my advice would be to avoid it, particularly where there is fast-and-swift-moving water.”

Last year, men accounted for 77 per cent of accidental drowning deaths in the province, with risky behaviour, alcohol intake, overestimation of physical ability and safety oversight among contributing factors.

“I often see young people going to the lake and challenging each other to swim from the beach to the buoy and back and quite often it’s a little farther than they thought and they tire,” Pike said. “You really only need to be in waist-to-chest-deep water. Rather than swim out and back perpendicular, swim parallel to the shore. You can still do as many miles and challenge each other, but if you’re tired, you can easily stand up.”

Those ages 50 to 59 accounted for 20 accidental drowning deaths last year, the most of any age category recorded by the BCCS.

“In the movies when somebody is drowning, you hear them calling for help and flailing their arms,” Strecheniuk said. “When someone is actually in distress in the water, the last thing they’re going to do is call for help because they are just struggling to get a breath. You may see some flailing of arms. It can also look as simple as falling into water off of a dock or a boat and just sinking and you’ll never hear a sound.”

There were no accidental drowning deaths last year in B.C. swimming pools, according to the BCCS, while 22 per cent occurred after the decedent fell unintentionally into water.

“We’ve had lots of incidents where a boat turns sharply, someone trips, falls, bangs their head, ends up in the water and they sink away because they have no PFD (personal flotation device) on,” Pike said. “Always wear that.”

Nine people under the age of 19 died of accidental drowning in the province in 2024, according to the BCCS.

“Whether it’s in open water, the pool, the backyard pool, a bucket of water or a seemingly innocuous paddling pool, these things can result in serious risks for children,” Pike said, noting parents should put down their phones while supervising. “Our encouragement is to get in the water with your child and play with them. Now you are at arm’s length.”

Pike advised parents to build fences around pools to keep young children from sneaking into the water unsupervised.

by Marty Hastings

Safety and prevention tips offered during National Drowning Prevention Week

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