Latest news with #LifesavingSociety
Toronto Sun
3 hours ago
- Climate
- Toronto Sun
Put down phone while supervising kids in water: Lifesaving Society
There has been a spike in drowning deaths this year, particularly in Ontario and Quebec Published Jul 30, 2025 • 3 minute read Beaches in Toronto are packed as people find ways to embrace temperatures up to 36 degrees Celsius on Monday June 23, 2025. Photo by Frank Gunn / THE CANADIAN PRESS 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. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account 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. The Lifesaving Society continues to hear 'more and more' about children drowning while the people watching them are distracted, often by cellphones, she said. Your noon-hour look at what's happening in Toronto and beyond. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. '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. '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. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. 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. '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. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. 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. 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. Sunshine Girls Columnists Sunshine Girls MLB Editorial Cartoons
Global News
4 hours 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.
CTV News
5 hours ago
- Health
- CTV News
Put down your phone while supervising kids in the water, Lifesaving Society urges
Beaches in Toronto are packed as people find ways to embrace temperatures up to 36 degrees Celsius on Monday June 23, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Frank Gunn TORONTO — 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. 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. '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. '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. 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. This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 30, 2025. Canadian Press health coverage receives support through a partnership with the Canadian Medical Association. CP is solely responsible for this content. Nicole Ireland, The Canadian Press
CBC
4 days ago
- Climate
- CBC
Life jackets can save lives at the beach, and Grand Bend offers free rentals
Social Sharing Those swimming in Grand Bend can rent life-jackets while on the beach, officials with Lambton shores say — a reminder after several drownings in area waterways this summer. The life-jacket rental program at Grand Bend Beach has been in place for about a decade, said Ashley Farr, a director at the Municipality of Lambeth Shores. It was initially started to reinforce Grand Bend's status as a Blue Flag beach, a designation that requires high safety standards, as well as high environmental management and water quality. "The program has been fairly successful over the years," Farr said. "So we're just continuously trying to promote its availability and beach safety throughout Drowning Prevention Week." This year, the water safety-themed week comes amid a spate of recent drowning deaths in the London area, including the drowning of a 17-year-old in Chatham, an 18-year-old man in Ipperwash, and a 35-year-old man in Port Burwell. Risks apply to everyone, even strong swimmers. People who only go to the beach once or twice a year may not have their own life-jackets, said Stephanie Bakalar, a spokesperson for the Lifesaving Society. Lending programs becoming more common at Ontario's beaches, and even in some public libraries, where they're available for multi-day rentals, Bakalar said. Even though life-jackets are commonly used — and legally required — when boating or far out in deep water, any idea that swimming at the beach is not dangerous is a misconception, Bakalar said. It can be difficult to tell how deep water is and where a drop-off might be, as well as what hazards could be present, or how big the waves could become, she said. The dangers apply to anyone, regardless of swimming ability, she added. "If the waves knock you down and you can't regain your footing, you could drown." Some increasingly popular beach activities are risky to begin with, but especially without a life-jacket, Bakalar said. It's become more common for people to bring inflatables intended for pools — picture those glittery unicorn floaties — brought to the beach, Bakalar said. Because they float, they seem perfectly safe, even for non-swimmers, but they can easily deflate, and take a swimmer out much further than intended, she added. "You are brought out over your head so quickly and you're so far from shore and now you can't get back," she said. "Someone falls off, now they can't swim. It's an absolute recipe for disaster." A change in attitude surrounding life-jackets is needed, Bakalar said. There's a common perception that they are only for inexperienced swimmers or children, but the reality is that everyone should have one, Bakalar said, explaining that about 35 per cent of open-water drownings occur while people are swimming. To encourage safety at Grand Bend, the Lambeth Shores website gives more information not only about the life-jacket rentals, but also about structural currents and their flag system, which provides information about daily water conditions.
Ottawa Citizen
6 days ago
- Health
- Ottawa Citizen
OPP sound the alarm following 10 drownings so far this season
Article content Since there are no lifeguards on their beaches, they do make PFDs available to borrow free of charge. This service is available to visitors at 70 of its participating parks. Article content Ontario Parks also reminds people never to leave children unattended, especially in the water, regardless of how shallow it may be. Article content According to the Canadian Red Cross, 'the absence of adult supervision is a factor in most child drownings,' regardless of whether a child can swim or not. Article content Ontario Parks added that while water wings and inflatable tubes are great, they are not a substitute for a PFD/lifejacket and full-time adult supervision. Article content Wearing a lifejacket has multiple benefits if you find yourself in a water-related situation. It can pop you back up to the surface, give you time to adjust to the situation, catch your breath, and call for help. Article content On what is currently the Lifesaving Society's national Drowning Prevention Week (July 20-26), the organization noted in a news release that drowning claims the lives of hundreds of Canadians each year. 'Over 400 Canadians die in preventable water-related incidents annually. Even one drowning is too many,' the release said. Article content Article content This year's campaign is urging people to be 'safer together.' Article content 'This year's National Drowning Prevention Week is all about the easy ways that anyone can have a safer experience in or around the water. Safer together means you swim with someone instead of alone, and you wear a lifejacket instead of keeping it next to you in the boat. It's simple steps like these that make sure your day on the water ends happily,' said Lifesaving Society Ontario's Stephanie Bakalar. Article content In Ontario, 100% of drownings among children under the age of five occurred when supervision was absent or distracted. Article content Swimming alone accounted for 71% of drowning deaths in adults aged 65 and older, and 57% in adults aged 35 to 64. Article content Only 1% of drownings occur in lifeguard-supervised settings. Article content In boating-related fatalities, 89% of victims were not wearing a lifejacket. Article content Some tips include: Article content Actively supervise children anytime they are in or near the water. Article content Always swim with a buddy. Article content The safest place to swim is where the lifeguards are. Article content Lifejackets can save your life.
