Hot weather in the B.C. Interior is nothing new, and neither is flocking to the beach or water to cool off. Summer started early with scorching temperatures emerging in May. However, with the kids out of school and more families enjoying the sunshine, it’s time to revisit water safety to keep yourself and your children safe for remainder of summer.
As part of Interior Health's series Safety First: An IH Guideline to Safe Sport, and with National Drowning Prevention Week running from July 16-22, there is no better time to break down how to keep safe around the water.
“According to the most recent B.C. Coroner’s Report, in 2022, there were 86 fatalities. Eighty-six people passed away unfortunately from drowning across the province,” noted IH’s Deputy Chief Medical Health Officer Dr. Silvina Mema. “In the Interior Health region, that number was 31. So we accounted for more than a third of fatalities due to drowning in B.C.”