Submitted to the Grand Forks Gazette
With the summer like weather families will be starting to think about getting the boats and spending time around the water.
Water Safety Week is June 2 to 9, 2018, an annual campaign to educate Canadians on how to stay safe around water and prevent drowning incidents.
Every year, approximately 520 Canadians die needlessly in unintentional water-related fatalities.
A high percentage of these preventable water-related fatalities consist of young children, almost always due to lack of, or adequate, supervision.
While you enjoy the summer months at cottages, lakes, and pools with your family, it’s important to keep these statistics and safety tips in mind to ensure the safety of your children:
The absence of effective adult supervision is a factor in 75 per cent of deaths by drowning for children under the age of 10. Whether it’s in a pool, the bathtub, or the beach, children should always be actively supervised, even if they can swim.
Children aged one to four accounted for 42 per cent of fatalities involving backyard pools.
Above-ground backyard pools are especially dangerous for small children, and were associated with 38 per cent of all deaths by drowning in home pools involving children less than 10 years of age.
While the ability to swim is important, swimming skills alone aren’t always enough to save a life. Learning water safety is key to preventing an emergency in or on the water, and also teaches what to do if you find yourself in an emergency situation.
The Red Cross Swim program teaches both swimming skills, and water safety knowledge and skills – the most effective combination in preventing water–related injuries and fatalities. Stay safe this summer and ensure your knowledge and certifications are up-to-date by signing up for a course or viewing our safety tips.
The Grand Forks Aquatic Centre will be offering three sessions of Red Cross Swim Lessons, the weeks of July , July 23 and August 13. The Christina Lake Recreation will be offering one session at the Public Beach the week of July 30.
Call to register early so you reserve the week that works best for your family’s summer schedule.
For additional recreation information view the monthly recreation flyer at www.rdkb.com or give the recreation office a call at 250-442-2202.
