Have fun but stay safe around water

By Nicole Gorham-Elder, July 2018

This time of year, there’s nothing like cooling off on a hot summer day in the lake or pool. But what we forget is that water can be dangerous if you aren’t an experienced swimmer and sometimes, even if you are.

There are two incidents in my family that made us all have a healthy caution towards water.

I grew up on the tropical Island of Newfoundland and I lived in Trinity Bay before spending my early childhood in St Anthony, the Northern part where the Vikings landed. It’s surrounded by cold salty seas that do not make for ideal swimming conditions to say the least.

My first experiences were in a small community pool where we would go when the temperature was 72 degrees.  As I didn’t know how to swim, I wore a belted floatation device, the kind that straps around your belly and holds you up, sort of like a flutter board.

The belt was too loose and as I splashed about the ‘floaty’ moved around to my back and it held me face down in the water. I thrashed about for what felt like an eternity until one of my brothers reached down & flipped me over. He thought I was just splashing him and didn’t realize he probably saved my life.

Fast forward two years on a camping trip in PEI. We were having a family day on the beach when I thought it was a good idea to go exploring without telling my parents. I walked down the beach & was missing for about two hours. They thought I had drowned. I believe this was likely what led to my dad starting to bald & my mother’s silver hair. This second incident inspired my parents to put me in swimming lessons.

When we moved to Ontario in 1985, I began swimming lessons. To this day I’m not a strong swimmer but I can keep afloat.

I have a fear of water, especially if I can’t see the bottom. I don’t venture out more than waist high in an ocean. I took up paddle boarding a couple of years ago & always wear a life jacket, even if I’m in just four feet of water. I respect the water and I encourage all of my friends with kids to have them learn how to swim as I believe it is a life skill.

Disturbing facts about drowning:

• Did you know more than half of Ontario drownings occur in open water? 68% of reported drowning happen in lakes and rivers.
• Eight out of ten drowning victims are male.
• The highest drowning rates are amoung adults 65 years and older

Source: lifesaving.ca

There are things you can do to prevent a drowning. Here are some tips for staying safe in the water.

Parents:

• Stay within arms’ reach of your young children. Drowning can happen in a matter of seconds. Never leave your child unattended for even a short period of time; a drowning can happen in less time than it takes to read this tip. 
• You are a role model. Your kids are watching you, so make sure you wear your life jacket in any type of watercraft.
• Teach your children water safety and the importance of never swimming alone or in unknown waters.
• Empty kiddy pools immediately after use and store them upside down so they don’t collect water.

Source: drowningprevention.ca 

Water can be dangerous for adults too, especially for inexperienced swimmers, but experienced swimmers can run into problems too. Open water currents are strong and there could be undertows. That’s why you should always wear a life jacket when using any watercraft, no matter what level of swimmer you are.

Swimming and alcohol don’t mix

Alcohol reduces the rate your brain can process information, lowers your body temperature making you more prone to hypothermia, affects your sense of distance and can lead to risk-taking behaviour. royallifesaving.com.au 

I encourage everyone to learn swimming and water safety survival skills, so you can enjoy everything the summer has to offer. We’ve earned it after a cold winter and while the fine weather isn’t here for long, don’t take chances around the water.