Water Safety Week with summer just around the corner
By Nelson Daily Staff
Police across the province want to advise the public to be extra careful when flocking to the numerous beaches, lakes and rivers as well as community and personal pools as the weather begins to warm up and summer approaches.
This week — May 19-25 — is Water Safety Week and the public should be warned that preliminary data from the BC Coroners Service indicates that over the past five years 397 people have drowned in British Columbia.
With the May long weekend starting and National Water safety Week occurring next week it is an opportune time to remind people of the danger that can occur around water, explains Assistant Commissioner Randy Beck, the officer responsible for Core Policing in BC.
Too often police officers from across the province are called to scenes where people found themselves in situations that they were incapable of handling. It only takes a moment to be overcome by water, and as in the case of swimming pools or calm lakes the situation doesn’t have to appear dangerous.
According to the BC Coroners Service, between 2008- 2012:
- 58.7 per cent of drowning deaths occur between May and August
- 81.1 per cent of drowning victims were male
- Alcohol and/or drugs were contributing factors in 40.2 per cent of drowning deaths
- People between the ages of 20-29 were most likely to be victims of drowning
Of the 397 deaths just over 50 per cent (200) were involved in recreational activities such as swimming and boating, 44.1 per cent (175) involved falls into water, motor vehicle incidents where vehicles landed in water or deaths in bathtubs; and 5.5 per cent (220) were occupational.
The fact is that there is no single area that is the most dangerous. Drowning can occur anywhere. We encourage everyone to practice water safety so that people can enjoy water activities and come home safely to talk about it, said A/Comm Beck.
