Saskatchewan RCMP’s Underwater Recovery Team (URT) is reminding residents to be prepared if they ever find themselves in a vehicle sinking or submerged in water.
When a vehicle enters the water, water can pour in through windows and doors, causing entrapment and creating a life-threatening situation. With more than 100,000 bodies of water in Saskatchewan, residents are urged to be ready.
If you are in this situation, RCMP’s URT advises drivers not to panic and to remember the acronym SWOC: Seatbelts off, Windows open, Out immediately, Children first.
If it is an emergency, call 911 once you have safely exited the vehicle.
SWOC was developed by Dr. Gordon Giesbrecht, a leading cold-water and drowning physiologist and professor emeritus at the University of Manitoba.
Members of the Saskatchewan RCMP URT took part in vehicle submersion training with Giesbrecht this summer.
Since May, the URT has responded to three calls involving submerged vehicles. Fortunately, there were no drowning deaths.