With more than 100,000 bodies of water across the province, the Saskatchewan RCMP are reminding drivers to be prepared in case their vehicle becomes submerged.
“Drivers and passengers are at significant risk when a vehicle enters the water,” said Cpl. Jamie Diemert, coordinator of the Saskatchewan RCMP Underwater Recovery Team (URT). “Water can pour in through windows and doors, causing entrapment, and the situation can quickly become life-threatening. Knowing and practising an escape plan with your family can prepare you for this kind of emergency.”
If a vehicle becomes submerged, the RCMP’s URT recommends drivers stay calm and follow the life-saving acronym SWOC:
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S – Seatbelts off
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W – Windows open
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O – Out immediately
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C – Children first
The acronym was developed by Dr. Gordon Giesbrecht, a leading cold-water and drowning physiologist and professor emeritus at the University of Manitoba.
Earlier this summer, members of the Saskatchewan RCMP URT took part in vehicle immersion training informed by Dr. Giesbrecht. “No one ever plans for an accident, but we know they happen,” said Corporal Diemert. “Our police divers have responded to calls involving vehicles in dugouts, sloughs, rivers, and even lakes.”
Since May 2025, the URT has responded to three calls involving submerged vehicles, with no fatalities reported.
Drivers are urged to remember SWOC in the event of a vehicle entering water, and to call 911 once they have safely exited.