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CTV News
a day ago
- CTV News
New data shows a rise in drownings this year, here's how to stay vigilant on waterways
New data shows a rise in drownings this year, with Ontario seeing the biggest spike. In just one week, three lives were lost in separate incidents around the region. On Tuesday night, police responded to another drowning on Balsam Lake. The body of a 75-year-old man from North York was recovered from the water earlier Wednesday afternoon. Stephanie Bakalar with The Lifesaving Society said she is 'highly concerned with what we are seeing this year with this spike in drownings.' The Life Saving Society of Ontario is reminding people, especially parents, to be extra vigilant near any body of water. 'So far in Ontario this year we have heard of 57 drowning deaths. At this point last year, we had heard of 49 drowning deaths,' said Bakalar. The extreme heat has been a big factor behind big numbers at local beaches this summer. The fear is those drowning numbers could rise. A parent at the beach said, 'I always be with them. I always try to be with them, and that's the best part, right guys?' 'Uh hum,' one child responded. Parents are being told to always keep their young ones close by, regardless of their swimming abilities. 'We want parents to be paying attention to their kids. We have had a couple of missing's this year, so we want parents to be paying attention, staying off their phones, actively watching their kids,' said a Barrie lifeguard. Local fire departments are often the first to respond to water calls and encourage people to consider wearing life jackets when in open water. 'There's a life jacket program with the City of Barrie lifeguards. Just stop by the lifeguard hut and you can grab any life jacket at any time, or borrow the life jacket and return it at the end of the day, or keep it for a couple of hours,' said Kevin Grimoldby of the Barrie Fire Department. It's likely going to be a busy long weekend near all bodies of water, so officials urge you to keep that in mind when at the beach with your loved ones.
CTV News
4 days ago
- CTV News
Two people, including three-year-old, die in separate Ontario drownings Saturday: Police
An Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) patch is seen in Ottawa, on Sunday, Sept. 29, 2024. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Spencer Colby 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. Neither of the identities were released out of respect for the families. 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.' '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. This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 27, 2025. Daniel Johnson, The Canadian Press
