The summer heat has hit the province, and for many the best way to stay cool is heading to one of the many lakes and swimming areas. The Lifesaving Society Saskatchewan Branch is encouraging those who do so to take steps to be safe while they enjoy being in or around the water.
CEO of the Saskatchewan Branch of the Lifesaving Society, Shelby Rushton, offers some tips to keep safe while enjoying some aquatic recreation.
“To prevent an incident happening, first of all, we really want people to wear those life jackets. They do not work if you don’t wear them,” she explained.
Wearing a life jacket is one of the simplest ways to ensure safety on the water, especially since 87 per cent of drowning incidents when boating is due to people not wearing one.
“Life jackets are in bright colours usually, so we can spot you. So, if we do see someone floating out beside an empty canoe or an empty boat, and there’s this orange figure in the water, we know something’s up,” said Rushton.
She stresses the importance of being familiar with the hazards posed by water, and in particular, knowing how to swim.
“We also want you to watch your kids, they move very fast. They’re very very curious about the water and an incident could happen within seconds,” she explained.
“Honestly, you need to be within arm's reach of a (young) child at all times to be at a safe distance.”
She says that being aware of your surroundings, not being distracted and always watching their children is crucial. Always having someone keeping an eye on the children when in or around the water is the best way to keep them safe.
“One of you needs to go to the bathroom, one of you watches the kids. It’s always about teamwork,” she said. “That’s how lifeguards work, they work in teams.”
The Lifesaving Society also offers parent lifeguard courses to help strengthen rescue and water safety skills, teaching parents in a brief course how to identify hazards and know what to watch out for.
The teamwork aspect of water safety is not just applicable for parents and caregivers, it is a valuable tool for people of all ages.
“We want people to swim with a buddy and boat with a buddy. It’s helpful to have someone with you. If you do get in trouble, your friend can either assist you, get you out of trouble or go get help,” explained Rushton.
Being aware of one's surroundings and weather conditions can go a long way to keeping oneself safe when on the water.
“Weather can cause havoc in our lakes when the wind gets up a little bit, it starts to cause waves. The kids can get pushed out on their inflatable rafts, on their toys, or in their boats,” she said.
“Then you’re in trouble again, it’s pretty hard to swim in rough water.”
Last, but not least, is education. Having the knowledge needed to take care of oneself and others before an emergency potentially takes place is absolutely necessary.
“If you’re going to be going on a hike in bear country, you’re going to be taking a bear aware class, so you know what to do in case you run into a bear,” she said.
“Same thing if you’re going to the lake with your kids, take swimming lessons, get into one of our safety public awareness courses, go on our website and check it out.”
Once you are educated about and prepared for water hazards it will be far easier to enjoy oneself by the water, explained Rushton.
“We really do want people to get out there, take the opportunity to enjoy our beautiful lakes, rivers, streams, and our swimming pools. But be aware there’s hazards all the time, learn about them and have fun.”
You can find links to more information about water safety, links to courses and more by visiting the Lifesaving Society website.