Stay Safe On & In The Water

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Water safety tips

• Always wear a properly fitting Personal Floatation Device (PFD) when engaged in boating or tubing activities. Children, non-swimmers and weak swimmers should also wear a PFD when wading or playing in the water at a river or lakeside.
• Alcohol and water-related activities do not mix, any more than alcohol and driving do. Alcohol impairs your co-ordination and judgment, and this substantially adds to the risk inherent in swimming or boating. Impairment by alcohol or drugs is also often a contributing factor in cases in which someone has accidentally fallen into water from shore. B.C. statistics, like those from elsewhere in North America, show that between one-third and one-half of those who drown are impaired by alcohol or drugs at the time. 
• Always supervise children anywhere near water. Pre-school-aged children can drown in only a few centimetres of water, and the drowning is often silent. Proper supervision for children of this age involves always having them within arm’s length of a responsible adult. 
• If you are hosting visitors from another province or country, ensure that they are informed about the conditions that prevail in the lake or river you are visiting. Warn them about steep drop-offs, rapids, and any other hazards.
• Be aware of the water conditions where you are planning your activities. Check the weather forecast before heading out, and also do a visual inspection of the area. Do not head blindly down a river or stream without being aware of the water conditions further downstream.
• Never dive into unknown waters. Unexpectedly shallow water or hidden obstacles underwater can easily prove fatal. Diving from cliffs or from other great heights is an exceptionally high-risk activity. 

For further information about water safety tips, visit websites put out by such organizations as the Canadian Red Cross and the Lifesaving Society.