– by Lara Gladych –
As the weather heats up we all look to cool down over the summer months, and for many of us that means fun in or near the water.
June is Water Safety Month, and Cathy Watts, Panorama’s Aquatic Coordinator, reminds us to take pause when it comes to being around the water this summer, be it at an outdoor pool, beach or lake, especially where kids are concerned. In the four years between 2007 – 2011 in B.C., close to 400 drownings occurred, and over half of those victims drowned while engaging in recreational activity, mostly swimming.
Cathy emphasizes that people tend to underestimate the hazards of water. Outdoors, lack of supervision of children around water is the greatest risk to their safety. She cautions parents and caretakers that drowning can occur in less than 10 seconds, and in as little as an inch of water.
Drowning is a silent killer. You won’t hear the cries that come with other frightening or dangerous situations because voices are stifled when someone is drowning. Eyes must be on children at all times.
The highest at-risk demographic is that of young adults, aged 18 – 35. Contributing factors are usually that the victim is either a non-swimmer, under the influence of alcohol, or engaging in
unsafe activity.
Where do we begin to educate kids about water safety? In the pool, says Cathy. Every year within School District 63, all third graders participate in the Swim to Survive program, which this year reached about 350 kids. Through this program, funded by The Lifesaving Society, kids learn basic swimming skills that they may not otherwise have access to. The skills of primary importance for kids to learn are treading water for one minute and swimming 50 meters, with or without a PFD. These basic abilities translate into a real-life situation should a person fall into the water. By treading water, they can keep their head up until pulled to safety, and by swimming 50 metres, they can hopefully swim to safety themselves.
By 2016, Cathy hopes to have not only third grade children in the pool participating in this very important program, but seventh graders as well.
If parents are interested in lessons for their children but don’t know where to start, they can contact Cathy Watts herself, or Miko Heddle, Aquatic Program Assistant, to arrange for a 15 minute swim assessment. Once ability has been established, there are many swim lesson options to choose from to suit your schedule. Lessons run all summer and throughout the year, in both French and English.
Swim safe, and have fun this summer!
Contact Cathy Watts directly at 250.655.2182, and Miko Heddle at 250.655.2183.
