National Drowning Prevention Week in Canada

[Jetlag]

July 17 - 24, 2010

This week is National Drowning Prevention Week in Canada. According to the Lifesaving Society, drowning is the third leading cause of unintentional death for Canadians under the age of 60. And the majority of deaths caused by drowning are preventable. The Lifesaving Society urges all Canadians to please remember the following precautions while out enjoying water activities this summer: always wear a lifejacket while in or near water, keep a close eye on children near and in water, do not consume alcohol while boating and learn rescue skills. Together we can prevent water-related fatalities. For more information, contact experts@lifesaving.ca or go to www.lifesaving.ca.

The Lifesaving Society, the organization that certifies Canada’s lifeguards, encourages all Canadians to practise the following to prevent possible drownings:

• Always wear a lifejacket or personal flotation device (PFD) while near water.
• Do not consume alcohol when boating.
• Get trained in boating safety.
• Closely supervise young children.
• Learn rescue skills.

Drowning Facts

• Drowning is the third leading cause of unintentional death for Canadians under 60 years of age.
• 83% of drowning victims are men.
• 55% of all victims are between the ages of 18 and 49.
• At the time of drowning, 62% of victims were engaged in recreational activities.
• Of these activities, the most common were swimming (22%), fishing (20%) and powerboating (19%).
• Over half of all drownings in Canada occur during the summer period (May to August).
• Alcohol is involved in 38% of boating fatalities.

Life Saving Society Canada

[DirtyJ]

Its crazy how many people have drowned in Canada already this year! Its not even August yet and we have passed last years total. Thats actually pretty sad...............