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CBC
10 hours ago
- Climate
- CBC
Spate of drownings in Quebec prompts urgent calls for water safety, vigilance
After at least 22 drownings in Quebec since the start of the year — including two at Montreal's Verdun Beach in recent weeks — the Quebec Lifesaving Society is renewing its calls for caution. "Follow the instructions, that way you'll have stories to tell instead of tragedies to inflict on your loved ones," said executive director Raynald Hawkins. Recreational and sport swimming are the leading causes of the roughly 80 drownings in Quebec every year. And in half of those cases, the person is alone when it happens, he said. That's why one should never swim alone, he said. That way, if there's a problem, someone can call 911 or attempt a rescue. It's also crucial that people not overestimate their swimming ability, he said. Adam Di Fulvio, founder of Montreal Institute of Swimming, said people should be doing a safety assessment whenever they are around water. That means checking for life vests, if there is a lifeguard on duty, how fast the water is moving — all things to keep in mind no matter your swimming ability, he said. "Be aware of the risks," he said. "A lot of people think drowning happens to others, but it happens to everyone." Wear a life vest in unsupervised areas When going outside supervised swimming zones or into a river with a current, Hawkins recommends wearing a life vest. At a place like Verdun Beach, Hawkins said swimmers should stay within the designated swimming zone. "As soon as you cross that line, there are definitely currents," he said. "The moment you go beyond the swim zone, you're taking a risk." Hawkins said, when the City of Montreal established the beach, it conducted hydrographic studies to make sure the area would be protected from currents. "But the fact remains, you're in the river. So of course there's current," he said. Hawkins pointed out that even if the surface of the water looks calm, there can be strong currents, vortexes and downward suction underneath. Falls account for 25% of drownings With climate change in mind, Hawkins said he believes water supervision should start earlier in the season. At the time of the first death at Verdun Beach on June 7, the beach had not yet opened and was therefore unsupervised. But at the time of the second death, on Monday, the beach was open and supervised. "A young man lost his life in the river — again, outside the supervised swimming zone at Verdun Beach," said borough mayor Marie-Andrée Mauger, expressing her condolences on Facebook to the family and friends of the victim. "Outside the supervised swimming area, the river is very dangerous and swimming conditions are highly risky due to strong currents, variable depths and uneven footing." According to the Quebec Lifesaving Society's 2024 report on drowning, 76 per cent of victims are male. The report says 25 per cent of drownings happen while people are not engaged in a water activity, but fall in while walking, hiking or working. Di Fulvio said this is why people should always be thinking ahead about safety when near water, not only when they plan on boating or swimming. Rivers are where people drown the most, accounting for 35 per cent of cases while less than one per cent happen in supervised swimming areas. Di Fulvio said men in the 25 to 50 age group are often among victims — alcohol is often involved, as is being alone and not having a life jacket. He said rivers often claim lives because the water is moving faster than people realize. "People get caught in the current. They get pulled away. They get tired and the water takes them," he said.
CTV News
3 days ago
- CTV News
Group urges caution on the water after second drowning this month at Verdun Beach
Montreal police are investigating after a young man died after a possible drowning at Verdun Beach on Monday afternoon. A lifesaving group is urging residents to be mindful of the dangers of open waters after a second man has died after going for a swim at Verdun Beach in Montreal. Montreal police were called to the urban beach Monday afternoon around 4 p.m. after receiving reports of a man who had gone missing in the water. Hours later, his body was recovered from the water by police, saying he likely died in a drowning. Verdun Beach sign A sign at Verdun Beach warns swimmers about the risk of drowning. (Swidda Rassy/CTV News) The case was transferred to the coroner's office to determine the exact cause of death. Since this is the second drowning-related fatality at the beach this month, Quebec's Lifesaving Society is urging people to be careful while swimming, especially in open bodies of water, which is where 35 per cent of all drownings in the province occur. 'And bathing activities is a principal factor involved with those drowning situations, and that's why our recommendation is, when you see the swimming area with lifeguard on duty, I think the best thing is to try to [stay in] those swimming areas and don't try to go on rivers,' said general manager Raynald Hawkins in an interview. Police at Verdun Beach Montreal police officers speak with a lifeguard at Verdun Beach on Tuesday, June 24, 2025. A young man died in a possible drowning at the beach on Monday. (Swidda Rassy/CTV News) Many people are flocking to beaches and pools this week as a stretch of extreme heat is gripping southern Quebec. Environment and Climate Change Canada has issued an extreme heat warning for the Montreal area as humidex values soar into the 40s. Hawkins says regardless of your swimming skills, swimming alone is never a good idea as 50 per cent of drownings happen when swimmers are by themselves. Last week, Montreal police recovered the body of a 20-year-old man who drowned at Verdun Beach on June 7. A 22-year-old man also drowned at the beach last August. More safety measures needed? The beach was closed after Monday's incident but reopened to the public on Tuesday. A sign posted at the beach warns swimmers about the risk of drowning due to strong currents. Hawkins says the open water might look calm on the surface, but underneath swift currents can quickly put swimmers in danger. 'That's why we always say, if you don't know the rivers, please don't use that for bathing activities. Use that for boating activities, like paddling activities with your personal flotation device or other boating activities. But for swimming, I think the best way is to use the [designated] swimming area,' he said. Raynald Hawkins Raynald Hawkins is the head of Quebec's Lifesaving Society. (CTV News) Hawkins says it's too soon to say whether or not more signage or other measures are needed to prevent people from drowning at the popular beach, and will be looking at what the coroner has to say. Verdun borough mayor Marie-Andrée Mauger could not be reached for comment on Tuesday. So far this year, there have been 25 drownings in Quebec, according to Hawkins. By this time last year, there were 24 drownings recorded. There was a total of 60 drownings in the province in 2024, which was down from 85 in 2023. With files from CTV News' Swidda Rassy
