During National Drowning Prevention Week, Quebec’s Lifesaving Society wants to remind Quebecers that cooling off in swimming pools, rivers and lakes during the hot summer days can be deadly if they don’t practice vigilance.
While Quebec’s Lifesaving Society is reporting 11 fewer drownings than at the same time last year in Quebec, the number of deaths continues to remain far too high.
This year alone, 32 drownings have already been recorded in the province.
The death toll rose this past Saturday, with the tragic death of a kayaker who capsized in the Matawin River in Mauricie.
An average of 80 drownings per year in Quebec
Quebec’s Lifesaving Society says that over the past 10 years, the province has seen an average of about 80 drownings per year.
To reduce that number, experts encourage people to wear a life jacket when on a boat or when engaging in water sports. That alone would prevent about 20 drownings per year.
Experts say that nine times out of 10, people did not wear a life jacket or wore it incorrectly.
Currently, the law stipulates that a lifejacket or personal flotation device for every person on board a boat must be available, but passengers are not required to wear it.
Another major tip from Quebec’s Lifesaving Society is to not to be alone when you find yourself in the water.
According to data provided by the society, an average of 50.8 per cent of incidents that occurred between 2020 and 2024 involved single people.
Adults should aways ensure that children are well supervised. Children between the age of one and four are most at risk.
Install a gate around your pool
Research shows that an average of one child a day goes to the emergency room for a drowning or near-drowning in Quebec during the summer months.
Many of these accidents involve the lack of a safety gate or an improperly installed gate around a pool.
Fences and gates are required in backyard pools, but not all households have them yet since Quebecers have until 2025 to comply with the new regulations.
Experts also warn people to be careful with their alcohol consumption around water.
Four out of ten drownings involved alcohol consumption.