‘It tracks much higher than usual:’ surge in drownings concerns advocacy group

“This shows us that we really need to make sure that the public has safety at top of mind this summer because it’s only going to get hotter and more enticing to enjoy and recreate on the water.”

Historically, 77 per cent of drowning victims in the province are men, Grace said, noting the vast majority of this year’s fatalities have been males.

A combination of boating, paddleboarding, swimming, as well as snowmobiling incidents earlier in the year drove up this year’s fatalities, with “no set pattern” among the incidents, Grace said.

Locally, Wednesday, May 20 was a tragic day in the Nanaimo area, with a pair of unrelated swimming drownings in the Departure Bay area, as well as a scuba diver dying off Gabriola Island.

The following day, three men on a clam harvesting boat drowned off Savary Island, northwest of Powell River.

Most recently, the bodies of two paddleboarders were recovered from a lake near Squamish on Tuesday, June 2.

Aerial and water-based resources were deployed in response to a pair of people who drowned in Nanaimo’s Departure Bay area during separate May 20 incidents. (Image Credit: Ian Holmes/NanaimoNewsNOW)

According to BC Coroners Service data, an annual average of 66 accidental drowning deaths occurred in the province between 2014 and 2024, with rivers and lakes/ponds being the highest risk areas.

Most drownings are entirely preventable, Grace said, pointing to the importance of all forms of boaters and paddleboarders wearing a life jacket or personal flotation device.

“Please make sure if folks are boating or paddleboarding that they’re making a trip plan, letting others know where they’re going; assessing variable risks like weather, currents, deep water drop-offs, all of those things.”

Swimmers misjudging their capabilities is also a historic issue, Grace said, while another especially vulnerable population is children.

Stigmas around men refusing to wear life jackets and engaging in higher risk behaviours such as mixing alcohol/substances with recreating on the water, as key driving factors in preventable drownings, Grace said.

She emphasized that safety needs to be priority for people enjoying themselves in and around the water.

“It’s a free activity in many instances that everybody can enjoy, we just want to make sure that people are doing so responsibly.”

A statement from the City of Nanaimo confirmed lifeguards are scheduled to begin daily shifts at Westwood Lake’s First Beach on June 28 until Sept. 7 between noon and 5:30 p.m., weather permitting, including stat holidays.

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by Ian Holmes

‘It tracks much higher than usual:’ surge in drownings concerns advocacy group

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