Water safety concerns rise with flood waters

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This article was published 06/06/2022 (1303 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

High water levels this flood season have created dangerous conditions and prompted water safety experts to speak out.

After five reported drownings and additional water rescues so far in the province this year, the Lifesaving Society of Manitoba is warning the public about “unpredictable” drowning risks in flooded lakes, rivers and retention ponds.

Even overland flooding and large puddles can be a hazard, said Christopher Love, water smart and safety management co-ordinator.

“All you need in order to start the drowning process is for your mouth and nose to be covered with water, and so for a small child, a puddle can do that, especially with all the water that we’ve had so far this year.”

Five people have died and others have been pulled from the water to safety, according to news reports. A comprehensive total of Manitoba’s water rescues is not available, but the latest incident was a youth rescued from the Red River on June 5, roughly one kilometre from where he was initially spotted in the St. Vital area.

He was holding on to a log that carried him downstream, the City of Winnipeg reported. The fire paramedic service launched a boat from St. Vital Park to rescue the youth, who was not identified. He was taken to hospital in stable condition.

It’s concerning drownings and rescues have already occurred this early in the season, Love said; on average, 22 Manitobans drown every year.

“That is a concerning trend for us, that rescues have to take place and that fatalities have occurred, so our big piece of advice for everybody right now is: you need to be very, very careful around the water. In many, many cases, we would be saying avoid the water entirely because it is at flood stage,” he said.

With summer temperatures on the way and more Manitobans heading out on the water, Love recommends everyone be aware of their surroundings, keep children within arm’s reach, use proper safety equipment — including wearing life jackets while sandbagging — and eliminate hazards for children, such as uncovered rain barrels and standing water.

“Anything that can hold water is a potential drowning hazard,” Love said.

The water temperature is still much colder than the air temperature. No one should go on the water alone, and they should always tell someone where they’re going and when they’ll be back, in case a rescue is necessary, the society recommends.

Another potentially lifesaving tip, Love said, is no intoxicants.

In Manitoba, 30 to 40 per cent of all drownings involve intoxicants. The majority of drowning reports happen on natural bodies of water, and about 70 per cent happen when the weather is nice, between May and September. During a bad flood season, there’s been some evidence that drowning is more likely.

During the 2011 flood season, 40 Manitobans drowned.

“It’s not a strong correlation, but we do tend to see when there are years with flooding, not just here in Manitoba, in any of the provinces across the country — when there are areas of flooding or seasons of flooding, unfortunately the drowning death rate does tend to go up, because floods are unpredictable,” Love said.

katie.may@freepress.mb.ca