The Castlegar and District Recreation Department teamed up with the Lifesaving Society to promote National Drowning Prevention Week.
They kicked it off with a BBQ and local lifeguards swam 500 metres in memory of the 500 lives lost each year to drowning.
There were week-long educational activities, free swimming lessons, and even Buckles the PFD stopped by to say thank you to all the kids learning about life jackets!
If you missed out on the activities, here are some of the key points they were trying to get across:
- If you’re not within arms’ reach, you’ve gone too far. Always supervise children.
- Boat sober. Alcohol consumption is a factor in almost 40 per cent of boating-related fatalities.
- Choose It. Use It. Always wear a life jacket or PFD.
- Life jackets don’t work if you don’t wear them. Not wearing a life jacket or PFD was a factor in 88 per cent of boating deaths.
- Swim with a buddy
- Swim to Survive — Swim to Survive is a Lifesaving Society survival training program. Swim to Survive is not a substitute for swimming lessons; instead, it defines the minimum skills needed to survive an unexpected fall into deep water.
Be safe out there this summer.
