A B.C.’s coroner service report released during National Drowning Prevention Week suggests a decline in accidental drownings over the past decade, but first responders are remained to the frequency of incidents in the summer months.
BC Emergency Health Service paramedic public information officer Brian Twaits said personnel responded to close to 40 dispatch calls for possible drowning incidents last month.
“Drowning is fast, and it is sudden, and it can happen in a matter of seconds,” Twaites told CFAX 1070, adding that prevention and minimizing risk factors is most important.
Taking toys out of pool areas to avoid attracting children or draining wading pools between uses are some ways to prevent problems around private residences. Strong swimmers need to be aware of aquatic risks too, he said, also noting “alcohol and water don’t mix.”
Twaits also said to keep small children in arms reach while on or near the water, ensure life jackets are on rather than tucked away in boats where you cannot use them and avoid intoxication around water.
The coroners report suggests 40 per cent of accidental drownings between 2014 and 2023 involved alcohol or drugs. The data found nearly a quarter of these deaths involved unintentional falls into the water (24 per cent), with slightly fewer involving swimming (18 per cent) and bathing (14 per cent).
Meanwhile, the preliminary data for 2024 suggests 98 people died from accidental drownings that year, with 24 of those deaths taking place in the Island Health Authority. More than two-thirds of these deaths in the province were male, with the largest portion of those who died being aged 50 to 59 years old (77 per cent).
Twaits was on CFAX 1070 this morning with Ryan Price: