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By Josh Hall | @Vancan19

safety tips!

The Lifesaving Society urges safety around the water this long weekend

Jun 29, 2024 | 10:42 AM

The Lifesaving Society is reminding Albertans to be cautious this long weekend when around bodies of water.

The organization says drowning incidents are significantly more likely to occur in the warmer months, with the most being in July.

That’s why National Drowning Prevention Week is the third week of July, and World Drowning Prevention Day is on July 25.

According to The Lifesaving Society’s 2024 Drowning Report, prepared by Drowning Prevention Research Centre Canada, 51 per cent of all drownings in Alberta happen in lakes, ponds and rivers.

Just one per cent take place in a lifeguard-supervised setting.

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Just under 1-in-5 take place while boating, with 34 per cent of those on power boats, 16 per cent on inflatable crafts, and 16 per cent in canoes.

Three-quarters of drowning victims are male, the report notes.

A few tips are:

• Stay within arm’s reach and provide active adult supervision (in Alberta, 100 per cent of drownings involving children under 5 years of age occurred due to a lack of proper supervision)
• Don’t drink and drown!
• Always wear a lifejacket (make sure it is Transport Canada approved)
• Don’t go alone!

Read the full report here.

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