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Summer is cautiously settling into the province, giving the BC Coroners Service and the Lifesaving Society an opportunity to remind people of the steps they can take to prevent accidental drownings. (File photo)
Photo : Radio-Canada / Winston Szeto
Posted at 5:12 p.m. EDT
The British Columbia Coroners Service recommends remaining cautious near water sources as 101 people have lost their lives in 2023, a first in 10 years. Summer is particularly deadly, warns the province’s interim chief coroner.
While the summer season is synonymous with aquatic activities for some, it also corresponds to an increase in accidents linked to these activities, notes the Coroners Service, in association with the Lifesaving Society.
In his report which highlights these accidents, the province’s interim chief coroner notes an increase in accidental drownings between the months of May and August between 2013 and 2023.
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For the year 2023, John McNamee points out that the 101 people who died from accidental drowning correspond to 1.8 deaths per 100,000 inhabitants.
Substances as risk factors
Risk factors such as alcohol and drug ingestion contributed to 39% of drowning deaths between 2013 and 2022.
John McNamee However, he notes that other risk factors, such as weather conditions or level of swimming experience, were not taken into account in this report. They will be included in a future version, he says.
Most deaths occurred outdoors, in rivers or streams (240) and lakes or ponds (240) during water activities (nearly one in five deaths).
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Preventing drownings
The Lifesaving Society recommends:
- to keep children within arm’s reach
- never leave children or non-swimmers unsupervised near a water point (beach, lake, bathtub)
- to swim with a trusted person in areas supervised by lifeguards
- to wear a life jacket when going out on a boat
- and to refrain from consuming alcohol or drugs near or on water
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