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Manitoba
Drowning Report 1998
A review of Manitoba’s water-related fatalities in 1996
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Drowning: A National Issue
- Drowning is the second leading cause of
accidental injury or death in Canada. In Manitoba, the
number of drowning fatalities remains very high, though
1996 had the lowest number of drowning fatalities in the
last five years. Males remain the highest risk group,
with as many as 20 times the number of incidents as
females.
Within Arms Reach
- Youth water related deaths are of great
concern to the Lifesaving Society. During 1996, six of
the 21 people who drowned in Manitoba were under the age
of 17; four of them were under the age of four. Of these
four children, one died in a bathtub, one died in an open
sump pump pit, and the remaining two drowned in outdoor
areas — one in a lake and one a river. The
supervision of young children in this age group is
essential. In water-related fatalities of toddlers in the
past five years, 53% of the victims were unsupervised
when they died.
Six Year Old Boy Rescues Three Year Old Sister
From Deep Fish Pond
- August 31, 1996 Ste. Anne’s -
During a family holiday, a three year old girl fell off
her bike into a deep fish pond. Her six year old brother
called for help then jumped in when he saw her going
under the water. He swam out 10 feet and held her above
the water until grown-ups arrived. The pond was
approximately 20 - 30 feet deep.
Alcohol Related Drownings
- Alcohol continues to play a significant
role in Manitoba drownings. Alcohol was a factor in seven
of Manitoba’s drowning fatalities in 1996, and was
present in 38% of water-related deaths from 1991 to 1996.
Almost 100% of these drowning victims were male. Drugs
and aquatic injuries are also a growing concern. 1996 had
the highest percentage of drowning deaths where victims
were under the influence of drugs since 1991.
Manitoba’s Aboriginal People at High Risk
- The risk of drowning is high in Aboriginal
communities. Over the past 6 years, of the 192 drowning
victims, 77 of them have been Aboriginal people, putting
them at a risk of almost 10 times that of all other
ethnic backgrounds. One-third of all drowning in Manitoba
occur in the northern region. This area does not have the
same access to swimming lessons and lifesaving education
and training. In addition, these communities are at
higher risk due to their proximity to water.
Since 1991
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Aboriginal Canadians
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All Other Ethnic Origins
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| % of Manitoban
Population |
7% |
93% |
| Total
Drownings: 1991-1996 |
77 40%
|
115 60%
|
One Survivor After Tragic Boating Accident -
Man Watches his Friends Die
- September 29, 1996 Lake Winnipegosis
- While transporting supplies for a moose hunting trip,
three men found themselves in rough waters. As they
headed back to safety, the boat began to take on water
and soon capsized. All three men were wearing lifejackets.
Eventually two of the men were overcome by hypothermia
and soon died. The third held on for eight hours before
being rescued by two local Aboriginal men The lake was
still extremely rough but the two men choose to brave the
waters in search of the hunters. Upon their arrival only
one man was still in sight, the bodies of the other two
men were found later. Had the two not attempted the
rescue the third man would have also died.
Safety Around the Water
- Being safe around the water doesn’t
just mean being safe when you are going swimming. In 1996,
seven of the 21 drownings occured while people were
boating. Non-recreational aquatic activities i.e.;
walking or playing near water, fishing, bathing, etc.
accounted for seven deaths. Only one-third of water-related
fatalities involved people who were "going swimming."
Preventable
Drowning Rate per 100,000 people: 1991 - 1996
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Aboriginal
Canadians
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All
Other Ethnic Origins
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| Total
Drownings |
17.3
|
1.9
|
| Victims Under
5 Years of Age |
2.9 |
.13 |
| Recreational
Deaths |
9.1 |
1.35 |
| Deaths on
Lakes & Rivers |
11.3 |
1 |
| Deaths on Ice |
1.1 |
.13 |
| Alcohol
Consumption |
6.2 |
.87 |
Do You Know How to be WaterSmart?
- Always Wear a Life Jacket!
- Choose it and use it! Only
5% of Canadian drowning victims were wearing a
life jacket or personal flotation device (PFD).
One-quarter of boating drowning victims did not
even have a lifejacket in the boat.
- Boozing and Boating Don’t Mix
- Don't drink and drive your boat,
snowmobile or car. Alcohol is involved in 36% of
all preventable water-related deaths. Alcohol is
involved in half or more of fatal snowmobiling,
recreational powerboating, boat travel and
automobile travel incidents. Alcohol adversely
affects your balance, judgement and reaction time.
- Drive Responsibly
- Drive Your Powerboat, Personal
Watercraft or Snowmobile Responsibly. Stay low,
drive at moderate speeds and be aware of changing
weather conditions to avoid capsizing or falling
overboard. Falling overboard, capsizing and rough
water are each involved in one-third of fatal
boating incidents. Strong winds are involved in
one-quarter of fatal boating incidents. Drive
with extreme caution and proper lights after dark.
- Always Supervise Young Children
- If you're not within arms' reach,
you've gone too far! Young children 2-4 years of
age have the highest preventable water-related
death rate of all age groups. For 2-4 year olds,
backyard pools are the number highest risk
location. For infants and young children less
than 2 years old, the highest risk location is
the bathtub, followed by backyard pools. These
young victims have often been left alone.
Drowning is a silent killer...you cannot expect
to hear a cry for help, so you must always be
able to see your child. You must be your
youngsters' lifeguard!
- Learn to Swim! This is a must!
- Approximately 13% of the
population takes formal swimming lessons. One-third
of drowning victims are non-swimmers.
- Cold Water Kills
- Be ready to avoid hypothermia.
Exposure to cold/hypothermia is a leading cause
of preventable water related deaths after
drowning and alcohol. Cold or very cold water is
involved in one-quarter of preventable water-related
deaths. Cold water robs body heat 25 times faster
than air of the same temperature.
- Don't Go in the Water Alone
- Never swim alone, even in a
backyard pool. 4 out of 10 victims are alone when
they drown.
- Never Dive into Shallow Water
- Feet first, first time!
Approximately 34 Canadians become partially or
completely paralyzed each year from water related
incidents resulting in spinal injuries. Most of
these incidents occur while diving into shallow
water.
- Play and Swim in Supervised Areas
- 99% of drowning deaths occur in
situations where there is no lifeguard
supervision.
- Learn Lifesaving Skills
- Two-thirds of Canadian victims can
swim but still drown... just learning to swim is
not enough. Take a LIFESAVING SOCIETY "Water
Survival and Rescue" Course at Your Local
Pool or Aquatic Facility!
The Lifesaving Society acknowledges assistance
in preparing The Manitoba Drowning Report from:
- Offices of the Chief Medical Examiner,
Manitoba Department of Justice
- Canadian Red Cross Society (CRCS)
- Think First Canada
- Environment Canada
- Lifesaving Society and CRCS volunteers and
staff
Special thanks to Travel Manitoba for the
use of their photographs in this report.
Layout and Articles done by: Kyle Quinn and
Robert Hewitt.
The Lifesaving Society is a national volunteer-based,
charitable organization which works to prevent drownings through
its training programs, public education, research, consulting and
international liaison.
Business Number for charitable donations 11912 9047 RR0001