For many Canadian families, summer includes activities such as boating and swimming. But each year, tragic and avoidable water-related fatalities occur across Canada.
A Canadian Red Cross report examining these fatalities over 10 years revealed many common factors:
- Young children ages 1 to 4 and men ages 15 to 44 are at the greatest risk of drowning.
- Drowning is one of the leading causes of unintentional death for Canadian children ages one to four.
- A small child can disappear in seconds and can drown in only a few centimeters of water-enough to cover the mouth and nose. Typically, these drownings occur in backyard pools, toddler pools, the bathtub, or at the beach.
- Small children are also the most vulnerable group for near drownings. For every death, there are an estimated four to five additional near-drowning incidents, which require hospitalization and often result in varying degrees of brain damage.
- Infants and toddlers drowned mainly in bathtubs and pools, whereas older children and youth drowned mainly in large bodies of water.
- Other factors for adults in water-related fatalities included current and alcohol consumption.
Visit The Canadian Red Cross for information on water safety in addition to skills and prevention tips.