29 People Have Died By Drowning In Quebec Already This Summer
Be careful out there. With temperatures feeling like 41°C, last week's heatwave left Montrealers running to the water to cool down.
But it's not all fun and games this summer after a 4-year-old Laval boy drowned in his family pool this past Sunday.
This brings the total amount of drowning deaths up to 29; a significant 20% increase to the 22 recorded deaths from last year at the same time.
That is 29 deaths already and the summer has barely started.
The majority of drowning deaths happened in rivers and lakes this year. But Raynald Hawkins, general manager of the Quebec Lifesaving Society, an organization that aims to prevent drowning, notes that it is important to make the family pool inaccessible at all times. Young children should not only be watched but should be wearing flotation devices at all times.
But it's not just children to watch out for. According to The Montreal Gazette, the majority of drownings this year were adults. Montreal had a lot of snow this winter and a lot of rain in the spring increasing the flow and depth in some of these bodies of water. People may have been taken by surprise or were not equipped to deal with the intensity.
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It's also important to note that most of the drowning victims were not wearing life jackets, which Hawkins believes could have made a significant difference.
Speaking to TVA Nouvelles, Raynald Hawkins, says that, in his eyes, every drowning is one too many because drowning is so preventable in nearly every case.
Drowning deaths in Quebec in 2019 (as of July 8th):
Lakes: 9
Rivers: 6
Pools: 3
Others: 2
TOTAL: 29
Want to become a lifeguard or learn first aid? Check out Société de Sauvetage du Québec.
