Drownings death in the Maritimes increased 65 per cent between 2017 and 2018, up from 20 to 33 year over year.
Data from the Lifesaving Society’s 2021 Maritimes Drowning Report notes that the drowning rate climbed from 1.1 per 100,000 in 2017 to 1.8 in 2018. The Canadian average is 1.3 per 100,000.
CEO Ryan Ferguson said not wearing a lifejacket and consuming alcohol factor into many drownings.
“If everyone wore a life jacket when they were in a boat, if you didn’t drink while you were in that boat it would be even better and if you never swam alone, most adults would stop drowning,” Ferguson said.
According to the report, eight of out 10 people who drown in the Maritimes are men.
Forty-three per cent drowned in the ocean and 48 per cent were boating at the time of their death.
Ferguson said to stay safe when in the water, swim in front of an accredited lifeguard.
“If you are on the beach, look for flags. They are typically red and yellow over top and that means there is a person who has been trained. Has about 100 hours of training plus any experience on top of that in surveilling people in that area and they’re gonna watch you,” Ferguson said.
Eighty-seven per cent of middle-aged adults who drowned were not wearing a life jacket.
The United Nations has declared July 25th as World Drowning Prevention Day.
The Lifesaving Society has designated July 18 to 24, 2021, as National Drowning Prevention Week to focus attention on the drowning problem and to promote water safety awareness and education.
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