Three recent incidents highlight drowning dangers in B.C.

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838 people drowned in B.C. over the 10-year period from 2012 through 2022

Published Jul 23, 2023  •  2 minute read

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The past week has been a deadly one for swimmers in B.C.

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A 14-year-old boy remains in hospital in critical condition after he was pulled unresponsive from Sasamat Lake on Saturday. The beach was temporarily evacuated to make way for an air ambulance, which transported the boy to hospital.

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The day before, a 55-year-old man died from a probable drowning at the Vedder River near Peach Park.

“He was possibly fishing, and possibly attempted to rescue his dog that fell into the river,” Staff Sgt. Layne Penner of the Chilliwack RCMP told CityNews on the day of the death.

And a 21-year-old man is still missing after jumping into Cultus last Wednesday to save a friend he thought was drowning. An RCMP underwater recovery team was called in to conduct a search.

Chilliwack RCMP did not respond to several requests for an update on the status of the search for 21-year-old.

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There have been at least 17 drownings in B.C. this year, according to the Lifesaving Society of B.C. and Yukon, a drowning prevention charity.

That’s fewer drownings than typically occur by this time of year, based on data from a recent report on accidental drownings from 2012-2022 from the B.C. Coroners’ office.

There were 86 drowning deaths in B.C. in 2022, according to the report. Forty-six of them occurred between January and July.

The three most recent events were emblematic of many of the most common characteristics of drownings in B.C. over the past 10 years: drownings occur most often among males, aged 19-to-29 or 50-to-59, in lakes and rivers during summer months.

Between 2012-2022, 78 per cent of drowning victims were men. Two-thirds occurred in rivers or lakes. Individuals aged 20-to-29 or 50-to-59 were the most common ages of those who died, at 21 per cent and 17 per cent, respectively.

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Alcohol and drugs are another common factor.

Corners determined alcohol and drugs were contributing factors in 38 per cent of drowning deaths from 2012-2020. That figure spiked to 52 per cent among victims aged 30-to-39.

Drowning-prevention efforts are led in the province by the Lifesaving Society of B.C. and Yukon. The group offers some crucial water safety tips on its website:

For more information, visit lifesvingbc.ca/watersafety.

Cool off in B.C. with a jump from a cliff? Please don’t, urge rescue crews, doctors

Unresponsive teen pulled from Sasamat Lake Saturday

@njgriffithsngriffiths@postmedia.com

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