As Ontario Provincial Police officers probe several recent drownings, the Lifesaving Society is encouraging people heading to local lakes and rivers to be extra vigilant.
“As a mother myself and as a drowning prevention advocate, it really does break my heart. I feel for these families,” Stephanie Bakalar, a spokesperson with the organization’s Ontario branch and a former lifeguard, said.
“I want other families to understand that we can prevent drownings, and we can keep your little ones safe as long as we work together and understand the risks and the prevention steps.”
According to a police statement, OPP officers and emergency crews were called to Mille Roches Beach in Long Sault, which is about 15 minutes west of Cornwall, at around 5:45 p.m. on Saturday after a three-year-old boy was reported to be without vital signs. The statement said that despite attempts by off-duty medical professionals to revive the boy, he was later pronounced dead at a hospital.
Just after 1 p.m. on the same day, emergency crews were called to a home in Wasaga Beach after receiving reports that a 24-year-old Toronto man in a kayak was missing after it tipped over. Officers said Wasaga Beach firefighters found the missing man and emergency crews attempted to resuscitate him, but were unsuccessful.
“It is hard for the first responders, it is hard for the bystanders, it is heartbreaking for the family, and it is something that will stick with you forever,” Bakalar said.
Meanwhile, a three-year-old died while visiting Sandbanks Provincial Park in Prince Edward County with family members on Thursday. The child was reported missing after playing with family members in shallow water. Bystanders later found the three-year-old. Paramedics rushed the child to a hospital and despite life-saving efforts, the three-year-old was later pronounced dead.
During the prior weekend, a 24-year-old Toronto-area man was canoeing with a few others on East Lake in Prince Edward County when they decided to go swimming. Officers said they weren’t able to get back into the canoes. One person made it to shore, two others were helped by someone nearby and the fourth person didn’t resurface. They were later found by an OPP search and recovery team.
In a separate incident on Sunday, officers said a 51-year-old Toronto man also died while swimming in East Lake. The drowning was reported at a local resort.
CityNews contacted Ontario Provincial Police on Sunday to ask for an on-camera interview, but a spokesperson wasn’t made available. However, statements said investigations into all of the incidents are ongoing.
The spate of drownings prompted OPP officers to issue a warning, urging people to wear life jackets.
“Capsizing or falling overboard are the two leading causes of death in boating incidents, and wearing a life jacket can mean the difference between life and death,” the statement said.
“Ontario Provincial Police [have] responded to 10 marine fatalities in eastern Ontario so far this summer. That’s more than double the number of drowning deaths at this time last year.”
Bakalar said drowning “by and large is preventable in all cases.”
“There are some instances where someone may have another issue … because they’ve had a medical incident or something like that,” she told CityNews.
“Most drownings happen because people are alone and they don’t have someone to help them out if they get in trouble or they overestimate their swimming ability, or they’re not wearing a life jacket.”
During an interview on Sunday on the shore of Lake Ontario in Whitby, Bakalar pointed out the colder water temperatures, stronger waves and unstable surfaces in spots below as things that warrant caution.
Between 2017 and 2021, Bakalar highlighted the top causes in Ontario of drowning: 35 per cent happen when someone is swimming, 13 per cent happen while playing, recreating or working near water, 10 per cent happen while power boating and seven per cent happen while canoeing.
She said the most important thing is to wear a proper life jacket or personal floatation device.
Bakalar said a life jacket should have a weight and age class and approvals from Fisheries and Oceans Canada (if using it on a boat she said it needs to be approved by Transport Canada). She said the life jacket should be tried out before use and that it should be snug when put on. If you can put fingers under the shoulders and pull it higher than ear level, Bakalar said that can mean it’s too big.
Other tips from the Lifesaving Society include double-checking the weather forecast before going into the water, swimming with someone, and never going head-first into shallow water.
When it comes to choosing a swimming spot, Bakalar strongly encouraged people to go where there are lifeguards.
“In Ontario, only one per cent of drownings happen where lifeguards are on duty,” she said.
Click here for a list of Toronto beaches with lifeguards. For areas outside of Toronto, check with the local municipality.
Meanwhile, Bakalar said all people should learn basic swimming skills regardless of age or ability. She said the Lifesaving Society has a program specifically tailored to adults who didn’t learn earlier in life.
“What I hear from a lot of people, especially when I’ve talked to adult swimming lessons myself, is that they are they don’t think they can do it,” Bakalar said.
“I have taught grandparents to swim who were newcomers to Canada, had never swum before and never thought they would, but when they landed here in Ontario and saw all the water and saw the kids wanting to go for a swim, they decided they needed to learn.
“There was a lot of fear, a lot of hesitation, a lot of literal hand-holding and a lot of support. And you can get there, but put some faith in yourself.”
