What parents should know about water myths and safety for kids, amid drownings and inner tube swimming tragedies
While swimming is a good way to cool off amid Canada's heat waves, parents should be aware of how to keep their children safe.
As some Canadians sweat in summer heat waves, first responders are calling on people to be more careful if they're trying to cool off in certain bodies of water. Amid high numbers of emergency calls in Calgary, crews warn cheap floaties aren't as safe as some families might think.
So far this month, the Calgary Fire Department has received 50 emergency calls from people asking for help, most of which are cases where swimmers in the city's Bow River need rescuing because they've gotten stranded: "The most common reason we're called is people are purchasing plastic floaties, rafts, flamingos that are not meant for swift water," Carol Henke from the department told the Canadian Press.
Henke added these objects are meant for pools rather than bodies of water with stronger currents. If a swimmer takes one of these floaties out on a river, she said it can "rip and puncture very easily." As a result, she added crews will spend more time along the river educating people about tubes and rafts that are safe for the water.
Floaties and inner tubes have made recent headlines internationally, as well. Earlier this week, "Top Chef Masters" star Naomi Pomeroy died at 49 in Oregon, where she drowned in a river due to an inner tube accident. An investigation indicated she was one of three adults on the Willamette River recreating on two tubes tied together and a paddleboard. She was tied to the paddleboard and pulled underwater, where the leash made her unable to get free.
In Japan last week, BBC News reported a Chinese woman in her 20s was swept 80 kilometres away from the beach she was swimming at with a friend. She was wearing a "rubber ring" during the incident, and spent 36 hours in the water before being spotted by a cargo ship off a peninsula south of Tokyo and, luckily, getting rescued.
An Alberta family is also warning about the dangers of carbon monoxide on boats, after a recent incident that hospitalized a man and a six-year-old child. Global News reported the duo were enjoying time on the back of a wakesurfing boat on a lake southwest of Edmonton, before the girl suffered a seizure and health-care professionals said they both had carbon monoxide poisoning.
While cooling off at the local beach, lake or pool might be a fun summer past time for families, it's important that parents understand potential risks — and how easy problems can arise on the water.
Tori De Moreno, a mom of two based in Mississauga, Ont., previously told Yahoo Canada her youngest child was two years old when he almost drowned, despite being surrounded by family: "We were swimming in a private pool with several cousins. His older cousin, then 12, wanted to 'swim' with him. I was on the pool deck when suddenly, my son jumped into the water. I thought my niece, standing in front of him, was ready to catch him. It took a moment for me to realize she didn't react, and my son was drowning in front of me."
She added her son couldn't get to the surface of the water, meaning she had to dive into the pool and save him. It was a moment that taught her a valuable lesson about having an "adult who can swim" constantly watching over children who are swimming. Amanda Branco, founder of iSwim Aquatics, shared parents "must pay attention" since "it only takes one second for drowning to occur."
Most drownings occur in open water
Stephanie Bakalar, a spokesperson for Lifesaving Society Ontario, recently told Yahoo Canada that most drownings in Ontario happen in open water. Statistics from the Drowning Prevention Research Centre Canada support this, with 48 per cent of accidental drownings occurring in lakes, while 11 per cent occur in pools.
"There are several risk factors, such as unpredictable weather," Bakalar noted. "Water that appears calm can quickly become rough or have hidden currents. The most important thing is to be prepared."
Bakalar emphasized that wearing a life jacket or Personal Flotation Device (PFD) is the most effective preventive measure against accidental drowning. In 89 per cent of accidental drowning cases involving young adults (aged 15 to 34), the victim was not wearing a PFD. "There are many fun activities on open water, but simple measures like wearing a life jacket can keep you safe," she noted.
Stephanie Rainey, an Ottawa-based adult swim coach, also added that a PFD is crucial to saving someone from drowning: "No matter how strong a swimmer I am, I cannot bring someone else to shore or keep them above water if I don't have a PFD on myself. It's about how incapacitated you become when you don't have a PFD."
Common myths about water safety
'It won't happen to me'
Bakalar explained people "notoriously overestimate their swimming ability," adding that being in a shallow pool surrounded by lifeguards is different from being in open water: "You're not as strong a swimmer as you think."
'I'm fit enough'
Many people might assume being fit helps survival while underwater, but experts disagree. Rainey explained fitness is not "as important as wearing a PFD."
"I would rather have someone be a couch potato and have them in a PFD than have them be super fit and have no PFD," she said.
Branco emphasized people should learn survival skills, saying, "Most kids or adults that drown actually know how to swim or think they know how to swim. But in an emergency, they don't know what to do because those are two very different situations."
Tips for staying safe in the water this summer
Stock up on PFDs and life jackets for the cottage
Amid the summer season, more people flock to cottages often located near water. The most important safety tip for cottage trips is to ensure the availability of life jackets and PFDs at these getaways. It's best to carry your own PFD for enhanced safety.
Tackle peer pressure
Sometimes, people may feel pressured to go outside of their comfort level when they're with a group on the water.
"I've been at cottages where people have done questionable things in the water that were not safe," Bakalar said. She heavily discouraged swimming and boating at night or under the influence of alcohol, which is the second leading risk factor for accidental drowning after a lack of a PFD.
Rainey also shared that people often succumb to peer pressure and don't reveal their own swimming abilities. "People would be cautious about their friends and guests who are non-swimmers if they knew. ... People should explain that they prefer a life jacket or staying away from water."
Never swim alone
According to the Drowning Prevention Research Centre Canada, 37 per cent of drowning deaths in young adults and 56 per cent in middle-aged adults occurred while swimming alone.
Bakalar recommended using the arm-length technique when swimming with kids: "You need to be able to reach your child and put a hand — or two, preferably — on your child, at all times when you're in or near any water. And if you can't do that, you're too far away."
Recognize the signs of 'secondary drowning' and 'dry drowning'
Branco indicated drowning doesn't look the same in each scenario, adding it can even happen once someone has gotten out of the water.
Secondary drowning occurs when water is inhaled into the lungs and causes fluid buildup (pulmonary edema). This can happen when people have exited the pool or lake and appear to be OK at first. However, hours later, people may struggle to breathe or begin coughing. They might also develop a fever, get diarrhea and experience chest pain.
Similarly, dry drowning can occur when someone inhales water and has a laryngeal spasm that blocks airflow. Like drowning or secondary drowning, dry drowning is a medical emergency and requires immediate attention.
Plan ahead when swimming in open water
Baklar recommended people do some "homework" to learn more about the beach or body of water where they plan to swim. She said it's best to opt for an area with lifeguard surveillance, as well as to look for information that should be available on municipality websites and ensuring all members of your party stay within the supervised area.
Moreover, she said people should also focus on the signage, noting areas with rapids, rough water and whether lifeguards are on duty.
"There may be signs that say 'no swimming,' indicating that water is unsafe. It might be [that there's] rocks, which may seem like a good spot to some, but rocks are notoriously slippery and sharp and just unsafe in the water. You should avoid any rocky areas and stay by the sandy areas," she added.
Prepare your kids — and your pool area
Pools can provide tons of fun, but it's important parents teach their kids how to respect water and understand how dangerous it can be. Bakalar suggested hiring a local lifeguard to help supervise pool parties when lots of kids or people are in attendance. Still, she warned "you still have to watch your kids, you still have to be within arm's reach."
Installing a fence around your pool is an invaluable safety feature for families. Branco noted some people may rely on a pool cover, which could be equally as dangerous: "If the kids fall on top of the cover, they'll actually suffocate before they even drown, because it will cave in on them."
More facts about drowning
68 per cent drownings occur from May to September.
77 per cent of drowning victims are men, compared to 23 per cent of women
38 per cent of water-related fatalities occur during swimming.
86 per cent of drowning incidents during boating involve victims not wearing a PFD
1 Quebec child per day taken to ER for drowning or near-drowning
97 per cent of Canadians believe swimming is a crucial life skill for children
88 per cent of Canadians think swimming instruction should be part of school safety programs
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