The Lifesaving Society鈥檚 annual drowning prevention awareness campaign (National Drowning Prevention Week) is this week, July 19 to July 25. 聽
Gene Makowsky, Minister of Parks, Culture and Sport has proclaimed July 19 鈥� 25 as National Drowning Prevention Week in Saskatchewan.聽 Many other communities across the province have also issued their own proclamations for the week including:聽 Swift Current, Estevan, Melfort, Moose Jaw, Prince Albert, Regina, and Weyburn.
National Drowning Prevention Week is run all across Canada and is focused on educating the public about how to be safe in, on, and around water.聽 The Society is assisted in its effort by many community swimming pools, YMCA鈥檚, and other like-minded organizations by delivering activities and posting social media posts at their own locations.聽
Approximately 450 Canadians drown in preventable water-related incidents annually, drowning is the third leading cause of unintentional death among Canadians under 60+ years of age. Even one drowning is one too many.
In Saskatchewan, there are approximately 24 fatal drownings per year.聽 80% of fatal drowning victims are male and 20% are female.聽 Over a 5-year span (2013 to 2017), 35% of drownings occurred in lakes or ponds while 19% occurred in rivers.聽 Supervised swimming pools accounted for less than 1% of drownings.
Three of the most recent drownings in Saskatchewan occurred in the last 4 weeks and were in rivers or fast moving water. The increased water level on our two main river systems (north and south Saskatchewan rivers), water that once was shallow enough to walk in may be much deeper and have a stronger current, 鈥澛� said Shelby Rushton, CEO of the Lifesaving Society Saskatchewan Branch.聽
With fewer swimming pools open this summer and a lot of people heading to the lake or rivers to enjoy the water and cool off, Rushton cautions that everyone must remain vigilant to the ever present danger of water.聽 鈥淜nowing how to stay safe in, on, and around water; and knowing what to do in the case of a drowning emergency is important information for all residents and visitors to our province.鈥�
For more information, contact Shelby Rushton, CEO at (306) 780-9255 or (306) 531-3035(c).
The Lifesaving Society is a national, charitable organization dedicated to the prevention of drowning and water-related injuries.聽 As a provincially incorporated organization, the Saskatchewan Branch鈥檚 focus is on the safety of residents and visitors in, on and around the water in our province.
