Latest news with #Bakalar
Global News
a day ago
- Health
- Global News
Put down your phone while supervising kids in the water, Lifesaving Society urges
As Canada heads into a long weekend, the Lifesaving Society is urging parents and caregivers not to have their phones in hand while watching children playing near water or swimming. The society says there has been a spike in drowning deaths this year, particularly in Ontario and Quebec. Last week alone, three people — including two young children and a 24-year-old male kayaker — died in three separate drownings in Ontario. Although the specific circumstances of the deaths aren't known, senior communications officer Stephanie Bakalar says absent or distracted caregivers are a factor in more than 90 per cent of drownings among children under five in Canada. 'Drowning is fast and it is silent and it can happen before you even realize it, which means that we have to have our eyes on our kids at all times,' Bakalar said. Story continues below advertisement The Lifesaving Society continues to hear 'more and more' about children drowning while the people watching them are distracted, often by cellphones, she said. 'If you are going swimming, leave your phone somewhere on a table, face down, make sure you can call 911 if you need to, but do not have your phone in your hand. Do not look at it. Keep it away from you,' Bakalar said. Whether it's at a pool, at the beach or at the cottage, drownings can happen when the supervising adult looks away even for a moment. Get daily National news Get the day's top news, political, economic, and current affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox once a day. Sign up for daily National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy 'We often hear of people who've quickly checked their cellphone or turned to put sunscreen on another child. You could even be doing up a life-jacket for one of your kids while your other kid impatiently jumps in and starts to drown,' Bakalar said. At events such as pool parties, it's important to have a designated adult in charge of watching children at all times — and they should not be drinking and should know how to swim, she said. If that adult has to stop watching even for a few seconds, they should tag another adult in and clearly communicate that they are now responsible. In addition to children, younger men have a higher risk of drowning, largely because they often don't wear life-jackets, she said. Story continues below advertisement 'We've heard of many instances of young people in their late teens, early 20s, doing things to impress their friends and then their life is over,' she said. 'Wear the life-jackets, make the safe choices and have fun. You can absolutely have fun in a life-jacket.' Preliminary data released Tuesday by the Drowning Prevention Research Centre Canada shows a small increase in water-related deaths between Jan. 1 and July 29 this year compared to the same period last year. Across the country, the centre said it's aware of 164 deaths in that time frame in 2024 and 168 this year. Although the number of water-related deaths either decreased or held steady in several provinces year-over-year, Ontario and Quebec have both seen jumps. According to the preliminary data, Ontario had 49 deaths between Jan. 1 and July 29 in 2024 and 57 during the same period this year. Quebec's water-related deaths jumped from 32 to 47. The province with the next largest number of water-related deaths was British Columbia, with 23 deaths between January and July both this year and last year. The Drowning Prevention Research Centre gets its data from internet and media monitoring services across Canada. It is subject to change later when official coroners' and medical examiners' investigations are complete. Story continues below advertisement Ontario's Office of the Chief Coroner said there was an official total of 75 drowning deaths for all of 2024, down from 94 in 2023. It does not yet have official data on the number of drowning deaths that happened this year. The Quebec coroner's office said it did not yet have official data from either this year or 2024 as all investigations have not yet been completed, but said there were 90 drowning deaths in the province in 2023. B.C.'s Office of the Chief Coroner said there were 98 accidental drowning deaths in total in 2024, down from 119 deaths reported in 2023.
Global News
3 days ago
- Global News
2 people, including child, die in separate Ontario drownings Saturday: OPP
Two people, including a three-year-old, died in separate drownings in Ontario on Saturday, as one expert warns that July often sees the highest number of drownings in Canadian water. Ontario Provincial Police are investigating after emergency services were called to Mille Roches Beach in Long Sault around 5:45 p.m. regarding a child with no vital signs. A statement from police said off-duty medical professionals were attempting to resuscitate the child who was rushed to the hospital and later pronounced dead. Separately, police said emergency services responded to a residence on River Road East in Wasaga Beach at approximately 1:05 p.m. after reports of a missing kayaker. They said a 24-year-old man from Toronto had been kayaking with two others when their boat overturned. The Wasaga Beach Fire Department located the man and started resuscitation efforts before he was taken to hospital and later pronounced dead. Story continues below advertisement Neither of the identities were released out of respect for the families. Get breaking National news For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen. Sign up for breaking National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy Police are also investigating the death of another three-year-old who drowned at Sandbanks Provincial Park on Thursday. OPP at the time said the number of drownings in eastern Ontario this year is more than double what it was by this time in 2024. Stephanie Bakalar, a spokesperson for Lifesaving Society, said in an interview that July is often the month with the highest number of drownings across the country as people look to cool down amid hotter temperatures, with most instances occurring in natural bodies of water. Saturday marked the final day of Drowning Prevention Week in Canada, and Bakalar offered some general tips for staying safe around the water. 'Depending on the different age groups, we have slightly different risk factors, but generally pretty much the same things,' she said. Bakalar said that swimming or boating alone is a significant risk factor for both older and younger adults. For those above the age of 65, she said about 70 per cent of drowning deaths happen while individuals are swimming alone. For children under the age of five, she said, drowning most often occurs while 'supervision was either absent or distracted.' Story continues below advertisement 'I think it's really important for especially parents and caregivers, anyone who's taking kids near the water, to understand that drowning is fast and it is silent,' Bakalar said. She said someone supervising a child should be within an arm's reach and remain hyper vigilant. 'If you can't get to your child in a moment, if you cannot reach out and grab them, you are too far away from them, and the unthinkable can happen that quickly,' Bakalar said. When boating, she said it is always important to wear a life-jacket. 'About 90 per cent of the drowning deaths in Ontario, specifically, while people were boating, which includes powerboats, canoes, and kayaks. the victims were not wearing life-jackets,' Bakalar said. Staying sober when swimming or supervising someone else can increase safety, according to Bakalar. She also noted that swimming in a lifeguard-supervised setting can help people stay safe as they look to cool off amid hotter temperatures. 'We are never immune to drowning if we don't take layers of protection. So it's knowing how to swim. It's wearing the life-jacket. It's being with someone else,' Bakalar said.
Hamilton Spectator
15-07-2025
- Health
- Hamilton Spectator
Do swimsuit colours matter? As drowning deaths spike in Canada, experts discuss swimming safety
Drowning deaths spike each summer in Canada — with July being the peak. On Sunday, July 13, police say a four-year-old child died after drowning in a pond in Proton Station, Ont., according to a Canadian Press story published in the Toronto Star . There have already been four water deaths and a few close calls in the London region, including the death of an 18-year-old who died in hospital after he tried to save his 12-year-old brother who had drifted from shore in an inflatable at Ipperwash Beach, southwest of Grand Bend, on June 30. Just recently, two fatal drownings were reported in eastern Ontario, including a man near Westboro Beach and a toddler off Wolfe Island near Kingston. With drowning deaths on the rise, are any bathing suit colours or patterns safer than others when it comes to visibility? Stephanie Bakalar, spokesperson for Lifesaving Society Ontario, said wearing swimwear that is in high-contrast to your environment may increase your ability to be seen in the water — but there are many factors such as glare, water clarity and water agitation that can still reduce visibility. Alive Solutions released swimsuit colour testing revealing neon swimsuit colours are best for visibility. The testing found neon colours were still ultimate winners. While small patterns — either light or dark — didn't seem to impact visibility very much, according to their results. Large dark patterns decreased visibility, meaning a solid neon orange suit is more visible on the dark bottom than a neon orange bathing suit with large navy stripes, according to the results published on the organization's website . However, Bakalar notes there's still a lack of formal research to support wearing one colour over another in specific settings under specific conditions. 'What's more important is active and alert supervision of your children,' she said. In Ontario, 100 per cent of drowning deaths in children under five is caused by absent or distracted supervision. 'It is important that when children are around water that they are directly supervised by a responsible adult and in the case of weak or non-swimmers they remain within arms' reach,' she said. Bakalar emphasized life jackets are also an important layer of protection for all ages and should be worn at all times especially when boating — including in boats like canoes or kayaks. 'We recommend life jackets be red, orange or yellow to increase your visibility on the water and approved by Transport Canada, Fisheries and Oceans Canada or the Canadian Coast Guard,' she said. Bakalar said the safest place to swim is where there are lifeguards working. 'Less than one per cent of drownings in Ontario happen in lifeguard supervised settings,' she said. Bakalar said the Lifesaving Society's national lifeguards are trained to scan the surface, middle and bottom of their supervision zones and manoeuvre to reduce visual disruptions such as glare. Lifesaving Society Ontario's 2025 Drowning Report's statistics-reflecting infographic summarizes the most recent data on water-related fatalities available from the Office of the Chief Coroner for Ontario. 'Water quality standards in pools are set to ensure clarity allows for visibility to the bottom,' she said. Most fatal drownings in Canada and Ontario occur in natural bodies of water such as a lake, pond or river. Natural bodies of water present different challenges to visibility — but lifeguard supervised waterfront zones are established to create the most visibility possible. Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .
