Cooling off in the water? Consider brushing up on water safety
As the weather warms with summer approaching, a water-safety organization is sharing tips on how to stay safe around water.
"We're always encouraging New Brunswickers and Maritimers to be safe in and around the water by doing things like swimming with a buddy, swimming in a lifeguarded area and, of course, wearing a life jacket while doing things in boats or around the water as well," said Sarah Hebb, CEO of the Lifesaving Society New Brunswick.
Earlier this week, two men were reported dead at Gibson Falls, a popular swimming spot off River Road in Elgin, not far from Petitcodiac.
Coroner's Services is handling the investigation into the deaths and CBC News was told Thursday there was no more information to share at the time.
Elgin's volunteer fire chief, Kent Steeves, has warned about the dangers of Gibson Falls, with its slippery cliffs, strong current and deep gorge, which he said is tough to get into and tough to get out of.
Investigators have not yet said what the cause of death was for the two men, who were both citizens of India.
Hebb said it's important for everyone to learn how to be safe around water.
She said, statistically, people who are new to Canada are four times more likely to be unable to swim compared to those born in Canada.
"Swimming is a learned skill, but it's not necessarily emphasized all over the world," she said.
"So, many new Canadians will tell us that they've had limited exposure to water for recreational purposes in their home countries, and learning how to swim and learning about water safety just wasn't part of their culture at home."
According to the 2023 Maritimes report from the Drowning Prevention Research Centre Canada, 80 per cent of cases involving young adults, where the cause is known, were related to not wearing a life jacket, 45 per cent of cases involved alcohol consumption and 42 per cent of involved swimming after dark.
And one statistic is very clear — less than one per cent of all deaths by drowning in the Maritimes occur in lifeguard-supervised areas.
However, Hebb said New Brunswick is not an exception to the Canada-wide lifeguard shortage.
Even last year, it was decided that the Mactaquac Provincial Park beach wouldn't have lifeguards on duty for the 2023 summer because of hiring challenges.
"There's a plethora of reasons behind it," Hebb said of the lifeguard shortage. "COVID certainly didn't help.
"In-person training is required to become a lifeguard … and you just can't do that over Zoom."
Hebb said lifeguarding has also historically been viewed as a job for teenagers, but with an aging population, teens are not as plentiful.
As a reminder, Hebb said there is no upper age limit for lifeguarding and it's an option for everyone above the age of 15 who want to help keep others safe in and around the water.
