Who is drowning?
* Death Rate per 100,000 / Year
Canada’s
Drowning
Prevention
Charity
Canada’s
Drowning
Prevention
Charity
Canada’s
Drowning
Prevention
Charity
Canada’s
Drowning
Prevention
Charity
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Drowning is preventable. Here at the Lifesaving Society of BC & Yukon, we take this statement seriously and know that the primary way to prevent drowning is through creatively communicating preventative drowning information through data visualization.
While our Drowning Board provides concrete numbers, our interactive Drowning Map provides the location and a synopsis of the circumstances surrounding drowning in our area. It can happen quickly; be informed, be prepared and stay safe!
40 Days
28
Authorities said the teenager was out with three friends in Lynn Canyon Park on Sunday afternoon when he fell approximately 50 metres down a cliff. Asst. Chief Dwayne Derban from District of North Vancouver Fire and Rescue told CTV News the teenager had ventured off a marked trail and crossed a fence – without his friends – when the tragedy occurred. Authorities said the victim was not an experienced swimmer, and spent almost 30 minutes underwater before rescue crews reached him.
A semi-trailer truck plunged 18 metres off a highway bridge into a lake near Sicamous, B.C., about 100 kilometres east of Kamloops. Officials said Sunday afternoon that the driver's remains and the vehicle's wreckage have both been recovered. The Bruhn Bridge, which runs along Highway 1, was closed in both directions for most of the day Saturday. It was re-opened in the afternoon under controlled conditions with a speed limit of 30 kilometres per hour, as reported by DriveBC. Raminderjit Singh, 25, was driving with Mountain Peak Transport in Abbotsford when he went through the RW Bruhn Bridge guard rail and died in the crash.
"The Abbotsford Police Department says a man drowned at Albert Dyck Park on Monday afternoon. Sgt. Paul Walker says that just before 5 p.m., officers were called after reports that the man had gone into the lake and “did not surface.” “Abbotsford Police frontline officers responded immediately to the call along with the Abbotsford Fire Department, BCEHS, and Central Fraser Valley Search and Rescue. Unfortunately despite the efforts of first responders, the man could not be located,” Walker shared on Tuesday.Police say the park will remain closed while AbbyPD and the RCMP’s Dive team work to recover the man’s body. Walker says the drowning is being treated as a “tragic event” and is not deemed to be suspicious."
CHILLIWACK — Chilliwack RCMP has confirmed that a 4-year-old girl died after drowning in a pond Monday night at the Chilliwack Landing Leisure Centre. According to a statement from police, Mounties were dispatched at 8 p.m. Monday for the report of a drowning incident at the water park outside the Chilliwack Landing Leisure Centre. Emergency responders, including the Chilliwack RCMP, BC Emergency Health Services, and Chilliwack Fire Department all attended the scene. The young girl had been pulled from the water by her family members, according to the statement from the Chilliwack RCMP media relations unit. Bystanders immediately initiated CPR. Upon arrival, emergency personnel took over life-saving efforts. The child was transported to hospital where she tragically passed away, police said.
A man drowned in Porteau Cove Provincial Park over the weekend. Squamish RCMP confirmed the tragedy in a news release Tuesday, saying they responded to the drowning on Saturday. "Bystanders and first responders attempted life-saving measures, but unfortunately, the man died at the scene," the RCMP release reads. BC Emergency Health Services told CTV News on Saturday that it had dispatched two ambulances, two supervisors and a helicopter to the provincial park after receiving a report of an "unresponsive scuba diver near the boat launch" shortly after 10:30 a.m.
A 71-year-old man is dead in a presumed drowning incident on a lake south of Penticton, B.C. Mounties were called to Skaha Lake on Sunday after the Alberta man was found unresponsive in the water. Police say life-saving efforts were administered but the victim, who was alone on a "rented personal watercraft" when he entered the water, was pronounced dead at the scene, the B.C. RCMP said in a statement Tuesday. "At this time, the man appears to have drowned, with no foul play suspected, nor concerns of criminality or negligence on the part of the rental company," Cpl. James Grandy said in the statement.
Potential Drowning - Police and the coroner were called in around 1:30 p.m. after a deceased woman was found near the Kitsilano Yacht Club. “We don’t know how she died, we don’t know who she is, and we have not determined whether or not her death was the result of a crime,” Vancouver Police Department spokesperson Sgt. Steve Addison told CTV News. The discovery of the body came just over 24 hours after another woman was found dead in the water off of Sunset Beach.Police say they’ve yet to identify either women but describe them both as “young.” Investigators will now look to determine if there’s any connection between the deaths, and whether foul play was involved.
Potential Drowning - The Vancouver Police Department says it’s investigating the death of a woman whose body was found in the water near Sunset Beach Sunday morning.Police say the Missing Persons Unit, Major Crime Section, and BC Coroners Service are investigating the death but have not yet determined if it was the result of a crime.“The person has not been identified,” said Sgt. Steve Addison in a statement to CityNews. A passerby discovered the body before 10 a.m., and investigators remain on scene as of Sunday afternoon. This is a developing story. More to come.
Potential Drowning - Police in Kamloops, B.C., say the search continues for an Alberta man lost in the North Thompson River. Kamloops RCMP say officers responded to a call around 3 p.m. PT on Friday near a sports complex after a man was reportedly ""swept away"" by the river. Police say 50-year-old Stan Cappis and a friend jumped into a fast-moving portion of the river to rescue two young people who got caught by the river's current. Staff Sgt. Janelle Shoihet says Cappis's friend and the youths made it to shore, but Cappis was ""swept away"" and was last spotted around a river bend. Police say efforts by emergency personnel and numerous civilians to find Cappis began immediately, but he wasn't found. The man is from Red Deer, Alta., according to Kamloops Search and Rescue manager Frank Pryce.
Mounties in Kelowna say they're investigating a drowning in Okanagan Lake that occurred near the downtown marina early Saturday morning. Around 4:30 a.m., police received a report that an adult man had drowned, Kelowna RCMP said in a news release. Central Okanagan Search and Rescue and the Kelowna Fire Department also attended the scene, but crews were unable to recover the man's body. Officers remained on scene awaiting the RCMP Underwater Recovery Team Saturday morning. While the cause of the man's death has not been confirmed, it does not appear suspicious, police said.
"A man in his 20s has been identified as the victim of a drowning in Lynn Canyon waters Wednesday. The North Vancouver RCMP said Thursday police and multiple other first-responders received a call around 5 p.m. about a swimmer in distress. “It was reported that a young man who was cliff-jumping at Twin Falls had jumped and was underwater,” said Const. Mansoor Sahak. Sahak says the man did not know how to swim, had never cliff-jumped before, and drowned. He says first-responders were able to locate the man but weren’t able to pull him out for 30 minutes. Sahak says the man was airlifted to a local hospital, where he died of his injuries. “As to why he was underwater, we’re not quite sure. The reasoning behind that, it could have been multiple reasons. It could have been that he did not swim, wasn’t able to get up. It could have been that he might have been in shock from the cold water … we don’t know.”
A 29-year-old woman is dead after drowning off a small island along the British Columbia coast. Mounties responded to the reported drowning around 8 a.m. Sunday near the barge terminal on Savary Island, northwest of Powell River. Police and the B.C. Coroners Service were still investigating the woman's death Wednesday, according to a news release. Authorities say the death does not appear to be suspicious and there is no increased risk to public safety in the area.
A 47-year-old man lost his life in a drowning incident, possibly precipitated by a medical event, at Windermere Beach last Saturday. On Saturday, June 29, Columbia Valley RCMP responded with BC Ambulance Service and Windermere Fire Rescue to Windermere Community Beach following a report of a 47-year-old male drowning victim. The male was transported to Invermere and District Hospital and then flown via STARS helicopter to Calgary Foothills Hospital where he sadly passed away, reported Sgt. Ed DeJong, Columbia Valley RCMP Detachment commander. “There is nothing suspicious regarding the death and it is suspected he may have suffered a medical event while in the water,” he added.
An 11-year-old boy has died in B.C.’s Interior after drowning in a lake north of Cranbrook. The Kimberly RCMP detachment said the boy drowned after an inflatable tube flipped due to high winds and rough waters at Wasa Lake. The incident happened on Sunday. Three children were on top of the tube when it flipped. Two of the children were able to swim to shore but the 11-year-old boy did not. “An officer jumped into the lake and brought the boy onto the boat where CPR was initiated.” The boy was brought to shore and was given to BC Emergency Health Services. He was taken to East Kootenay Regional Hospital, where he was later declared dead.
A water rescue in the South Okanagan on Thursday afternoon turned into a drowning incident. The Okanagan Falls Volunteer Fire Department confirmed the death, saying crew members were called out to an area south of the local dam around 2:45 p.m. Fire chief Fred Dobransky said the call for assistance on the Okanagan River came in as a marine rescue, and that five members rushed out to help. The fire chief says his crew members immediately started CPR, with other emergency officials, including B.C. Ambulance and police, showing up quickly. “We did CPR until we were told to stop,” said Dobransky. “We could not revive the person.” Details of the man’s actions before his death aren’t known. The fire chief said the river’s water levels aren’t high, but there is a steady current.
"""Wednesday night, RCM-SAR 34 Cowichan responded to a call to search for a missing local man in Cowichan Bay. Despite extensive efforts with two CCG vessels, a helicopter, and Cowichan Ground SAR over four hours, the man was not found,"" said a statement from Royal Canadian Marine Search and Rescue unit 34 on their social media. ""Thursday morning our team resumed the search alongside RCMP. Sadly, around noon, the man's body was located. Our crew assisted RCMP in retrieving and transporting the body to shore. Our thoughts are with the family and friends of the deceased during this difficult time.""
A 17-year-old named Keron McKay who drowned at Langford Lake on Saturday, June 15, is currently in critical condition, and a family friend is hoping to raise money to support the youth's family. Around 2 p.m., West Shore RCMP were assisted by several bystanders in pulling the teenager out of the water, the department said in a news release after the incident. While some bystanders rescued the teenager, others helped emergency crews get to the floating dock using their boats. Once on the dock, the individual was administered what the RCMP described on social media as "life-saving measures" by police, fire and ambulance personnel before being taken to the hospital. McKay's family confirmed on the GoFundMe page that the 17-year-old has died on Wednesday afternoon (June 19) as a result of his injuries."It is with a heavy heart that I let you know that Keron passed away peacefully late yesterday afternoon. His family was with him. Please continue to help his family as they grieve," noted th
RCMP in Mission, BC, says search and rescue crews have recovered the body of a 37-year-old boater who had been missing since Friday night. RCMP say police responded to Nicomen Slough, about 14 kilometres northeast of Mission, on Friday evening after receiving reports of a boating accident in which two men were thrown into the water. They say the boaters were reportedly doing donuts in a small aluminum boat, and both were tossed from the craft after hitting their own wake. Police say the boat's passenger was able to make it to shore, but the driver could not be located after what police describe as an extensive search of the area. Police say the boater, who was from Dewdney, BC, wasn’t wearing a life-jacket at the time and alcohol may also have played a role in the incident.
A dedicated group of volunteers were pivotal in locating the body of a man last seen swimming in the Shuswap River near Sugar Lake in Cherryville. On Friday June 14th, 2024 at approximately 5pm, a 53-year old man entered the river with the intent to swim across and back. The man successfully made it across the river; unfortunately, on his return, the fast-moving water took him downstream and out of sight from his companions. Despite searching for over three-hours, the group were unable to locate their friend and advised police said Corporal Tania Finn of the Vernon North Okanagan RCMP. It was through the efforts of Vernon Search and Rescue that the body of the man was discovered the following day. Our sincerest condolences go out to the family and friends of the deceased."
Potential Drowning - The bodies of two people recently reported missing from Haines Junction were recovered from a vehicle that went off the road and crashed into Schwatka Lake. Chief coroner Heather Jones confirmed the deaths in a press release on the afternoon of May 17. Whitehorse RCMP were called to a report of a vehicle crash on Miles Canyon Road in Whitehorse on the evening of May 15, per Jones. When police arrived, they found a vehicle had left the road and landed in the lake, the coroner said. The vehicle was recovered from the water the following day. Jones said the bodies of 36-year-old Alexander Donald Walter Williams and 24-year-old Shyann Kyla-Lee Hazel Williams from Haines Junction were in the vehicle.
Potential Drowning - The bodies of two people recently reported missing from Haines Junction were recovered from a vehicle that went off the road and crashed into Schwatka Lake. Chief coroner Heather Jones confirmed the deaths in a press release on the afternoon of May 17. Whitehorse RCMP were called to a report of a vehicle crash on Miles Canyon Road in Whitehorse on the evening of May 15, per Jones. When police arrived, they found a vehicle had left the road and landed in the lake, the coroner said. The vehicle was recovered from the water the following day. Jones said the bodies of 36-year-old Alexander Donald Walter Williams and 24-year-old Shyann Kyla-Lee Hazel Williams from Haines Junction were in the vehicle.
The San Juan County Sheriff's Office in Washington state says it has recovered the bodies of two people from its waters, but their identities have yet to be confirmed. The discoveries in the waters off San Juan Island come three days after a search began for two kayakers last seen off the shore of Sidney, B.C., on southeast Vancouver Island. Sheriff Eric Peter says the first body, of a man, was reported on Monday around 3 p.m. PT. He said authorities found the body floating in the water against the rocks in Grandma's Cove, on the south side of San Juan Island. The second body was reported Tuesday around 6:30 a.m. PT, located in Middle Channel to the south of the island. Peter says both bodies were recovered wearing life jackets. The bodies were turned over to the coroner's office.
The San Juan County Sheriff's Office in Washington state says it has recovered the bodies of two people from its waters, but their identities have yet to be confirmed. The discoveries in the waters off San Juan Island come three days after a search began for two kayakers last seen off the shore of Sidney, B.C., on southeast Vancouver Island. Sheriff Eric Peter says the first body, of a man, was reported on Monday around 3 p.m. PT. He said authorities found the body floating in the water against the rocks in Grandma's Cove, on the south side of San Juan Island. The second body was reported Tuesday around 6:30 a.m. PT, located in Middle Channel to the south of the island. Peter says both bodies were recovered wearing life jackets. The bodies were turned over to the coroner's office.
Potential Drowning - Crews were able to locate a vehicle that somehow ended up in the Fraser River overnight Saturday, but the fate of its driver is currently unknown. The Coquitlam RCMP told CTV News in an email it received a report of a vehicle in the water near the boat launch at Maquabeak Park—located at 5 Burbidge St.—shortly after 12:15 a.m. Arriving officers found the vehicle fully submerged with its lights on. Coquitlam Fire and Rescue were called in and searched the area on a boat. However, crews “were unable to reach the vehicle or determine if it was occupied,” police said. The incident remains under investigation and anyone with information is asked to call the Coquitlam RCMP at 604-954-1550.
Potential Drowning - Searchers are scouring a remote section of northwestern Vancouver Island after a kayak was recovered over the weekend with no sign of its 21-year-old occupant. Witnesses reported that Allan Duarte Da Rosa set out from the west side of Tahsis Inlet around 5 p.m. Friday, Mounties said in a news release.Five hours later, the coast guard alerted the Nootka Sound RCMP that they were actively searching the inlet for the overdue paddler. The man's unoccupied kayak was located near Tahsis Narrows on Saturday morning, Sgt. Vanessa Munn told CTV News. Volunteer ground searchers joined the police and coast guard in their efforts to locate the man but have so far been unsuccessful.
Mounties in Williams Lake say a child has died in a plunge through the ice on Tyee Lake, in the province’s Cariboo region. Police say it happened Saturday when the utility task vehicle the child was riding on went through the ice. RCMP say in a statement that the death is a sad reminder of how quickly a fun activity can turn into tragedy. It says the RCMP is assisting the BC Coroners Service in the investigation of the death. Police say warmer days mean the conditions of ice on area lakes can change rapidly. The Mounties gave no other details on the accident or the gender or age of the child.
Oliver was found face-down and unresponsive in a backyard garden pond. He was on life-support at Victoria General Hospital for two days before he died. Oliver was left playing unsupervised with his sister in a backyard with an unfenced pool and pond and fell in. Paquette said despite the efforts of emergency responders and hospital staff, the boy “never woke up” and died at 3:55 a.m. Wednesday.
78% Male
22 % Female
Age 20 - 34
Age 50 - 64
Age 65 +
* Death Rate per 100,000 / Year
Lake / Pond
River
Ocean
Other
Bathtub
Pool
Drowning in a Lifeguard supervised setting
OF DROWNINGS OCCURRED FROM
May
To
Sept
Aquatic
Boating
Non-Aquatic
Powerboat
Canoe
Inflatable Craft
High Risk Groups:
The Lifesaving Society conducts research into fatal and non-fatal drowning, aquatic injury, and rescue interventions. The Lifesaving Society focuses WaterSmart drowning prevention efforts on people most at risk – like men fishing in small boats - or on those who can make a significant difference, such as parents of young children. Ongoing research and analysis support the Society’s evidence-based water rescue training and WaterSmart drowning prevention education.
112-3989 Henning Drive
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T: 604.299.5450
General inquiries: info@lifesaving.bc.ca
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112-3989 Henning Drive
Burnaby, British Columbia V5C 6N5
Branch Hours: Mon-Fri 8:30-4:30
T: 604.299.5450
General inquiries: info@lifesaving.bc.ca
Awards inquiries: awards@lifesaving.bc.ca
© Lifesaving Society BC / Yukon