Blue Cross urges public to be safe in the water this summer

By ANNA SMITH Local Journalism Initiative on July 3, 2025.

Drowning claims 400 Canadians each year, according to the 2024 National Drowning Report. As such, Blue Cross has shared a series of tips to help prevent these tragedies.

“We have a short summer season in Alberta and it’s a great time to get out swimming, boating and spending time around open water,” said Brian Geislinger, senior vice-president of Corporate Relations and Community Engagement with Alberta Blue Cross. “But unfortunately, many Albertans don’t recognize the risk of drowning or take adequate precautions to stay safe.”

While hundreds of Canadians will likely drown this summer, many of these deaths will be preventable with a few simple steps, which Blue Cross hopes will prevent Canadians from becoming part of this statistic.

National Drowning Prevention Week is the third week of July every year, coinciding with Canada’s peak drowning period.

This week promotes awareness of the need for individuals, communities, organizations and governments to take action in an effort to save lives – with a focus on a different key message each day, but these tips are being shared in advance to ensure they are front of mind.

Blue Cross encourages residents to never swim alone, to familiarize themselves with what drowning looks like, keep an eye on one another and be ready to call for help.

They ask residents to be aware of the potential danger of open water, such as lakes, rivers and oceans, where 67 per cent of drownings occur. One per cent of drownings happen in settings with lifeguards on duty.

They also ask for parents to keep active supervision of their young children, even in supervised settings with lifeguards. Active supervision requires parents to be within sight, earshot and arm’s reach of a child at all times.

“Always directly supervise children in, on and around the water,” said Blue Cross. “If you are not within arm’s reach, you’ve gone too far.”

They warn about consumption of substances such as alcohol and cannabis, which can impair balance, judgement and reflexes. Additionally, their effects are heightened by environmental factors such as sun exposure, wind, waves and dehydration, making it more difficult to get out of trouble.

Blue Cross encourages the use of floatation devices, as well as its Swim to Survive program, which helps teach vital skills in the event of an unexpected fall into water, such as how to reorient, tread water and build the necessary stamina to swim to safety.

For more information about National Drowning Prevention Week, visit lifesaving.org.