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The LifeSaving Society is reminding people of the importance of wearing life jackets following a drowning at Diefenbaker Lake over the weekend.
According to Outlook RCMP, the incident happened on Saturday evening when two men fell off their paddleboards into the water. One man was able to make it to shore, and a 30-year old man from Saskatoon drowned.
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According to police neither were wearing life jackets at the time.
CEO of the LifeSaving Society Saskatchewan Branch, Shelby Rushton, said one of the leading causes of drowning in the province involves people not wearing personal flotation devices (PFD), also known as life jackets.
“I have no idea why people aren’t wearing them,” Rushton said.
“As a good swimmer (I) could succumb to drowning if all of a sudden a storm came up.”
When worn correctly and buckled up completely, Rushton said a life jacket will not only keep you afloat in the water, but keep you warm and “could save your life.”
Rushton said alcohol and marijuana also continues to play a factor in drownings across Saskatchewan and Canada.
She reminds those planning on swimming or boating to do so sober, especially with the cold water and weather conditions across the province.
Rushton notes many drownings also involve unsupervised children.
“Kids move really fast around water, we need to keep our eyes on them at all times,” she said.
“Sometimes they fall over, they’re not strong enough to pick themselves up and they can drown so fast.”
Rushton said when trying on PFDs you should make sure to read the label to see if it is approved by Transport Canada and check how much weight it can hold up.
“You don’t want to be wearing a jacket that says it only holds up 50 pounds, it’s just not going to work,” she said.
Rushton also stressed the importance of testing life jackets every season in shallow water before heading out to the lake.
“Maybe it got a snag and now the foam is not working or it’s just seen better days,” she said.
“Try (it) out before you get into deep water and you should have a safe season.”
Over the last five years, Rushton said Saskatchewan averaged about 20 drownings per year. She said there are also incidents where people survive with complications such as brain damage or infections.
More tips for water safety can be found on the LifeSaving society’s website.
— with files from 650 CKOM’s Roman Hayter
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