By Daryl Major

Boaters and Swimmers urged to be Water Smart

Jul 21, 2016 | 11:05 AM

The number of drowning deaths in BC is down this year.

That’s welcome news during National Drowning Prevention Week.

Dale Miller with the Lifesaving Society of BC and the Yukon notes there have been two drowning deaths in the Central Island in 2016, one in Nanaimo and the other in Courtenay.

“From our records, we estimate there’ll be 67 drownings in 2015. So far this year we’ve seen 21. Which is better than last year at this time. Certainly we know that weather has an effect. By this time last year we had seen 27 drownings in B-C alone,” said Miller.

Miller adds figures from the last two years can’t be verified because some are still in the hands of the coroner.

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Of the 21 drowning deaths so far this year, swimming and boating are the top two causes.

“What we’re seeing right now is in fact the baby boomer age category, aged 50 to 64, is probably the highest incidents of drownings right now. But again, we typically see the males at 20 to 34 as well being the next highest.”

During National Drowning Prevention Week, Miller urges people to keep safety on the water in mind, especially at the upcoming Nanaimo Marine Festival.