It only takes a second of inattention and what has set out to be a fun time, can turn into a tragedy, because anyone can drown, and no one should, says the World Health Organization (WHO).
The organization has named July 25 as World Drowning Prevention Day and wants to raise everyone’s awareness.
Nicole Lundy, with Lawnlift Canada, is leading the day in Delta.
She is holding a colouring contest to get parents and kids thinking about water safety.
“Unfortunately, drowning doesn’t judge … it happens to everyone,” she said.
Lundy used to be a swimming instructor as well as a lifeguard at Splashdown water slides, now Big Splash Water Slide Park.
She considers unsupervised swimming pools to be one of the greatest drowning dangers.
She notes there are many backyard swimming pools in Tsawwassen. Pool owners always should make sure their gates are locked so kids can’t sneak in.
“A kid can drown in 30 seconds,” Lundy said.
Once, she was at a pool party with lots of people in the pool when a toddler fell in unnoticed. She pulled him out of the bottom of the pool. “… there were 20 people in the pool. He fell in. Nobody saw him. It just happens that quickly.”
There can be many causes of drowning, from kids going out into the water too far, to boating without life jackets, she added.
“But to me, there are so many people in Tsawwassen with pools. Make sure your gates are locked. Make sure that if you go on holidays, your pool is fenced … because it just happens so quickly,” she said.
According to the WHO, 236,000 people die from drowning every year with 90 per cent of those deaths happening in low and middle-income countries.
The Lifesaving Society of B.C. and Yukon, says that drowning can happen in as little as 10 seconds. Parents must always stay within an arm’s reach of their kids whether in the backyard, beach or bathtub.
In Canada, more than 400 people drown each year, making it the second-leading cause of accidental death for children and the third for adults.
To get people thinking about water safety, Lundy has rounded up a nice selection of prizes, thanks to local businesses. The winner of the random draw of one of the colouring poster entries on July 25 at Boston Pizza will get:
• Four, all-day passes to Big Splash Park
• $100 to Boston Pizza Tsawwassen for dinner after sliding
• A one-night stay at the Coast Tsawwassen Inn.
• $100 gift card at Sportchek for life jackets, swim suits or goggles
• Four passes to Winskill Pool to practise water safety.
In order to enter, follow all four Instagram accounts of the participating businesses: @lawnliftcanada; @bptsawwassen; and @tsawwasseninn and @bigsplashpark.
To get a colouring entry sheet, message @lawnliftcanada or email: [email protected]. Extra colouring entries can be filled out at Boston Pizza Restaurant.
