‘Silent and quick’: Lack of supervision the leading cause of drownings in children
Global News
More than nine in 10 (96 per cent) of drownings among children under the age of five happen because of absent or distracted supervision, according to a report.
Whether in a pool, a bathtub or a lake, drowning can happen quickly and quietly. It is also one of the leading causes of injury-related deaths for young children in Canada.
More than nine in 10 (96 per cent) of drownings among children under the age of five happen because of absent or distracted supervision, according to a 2023 Lifesaving Society report.
“A big message right now that we need parents to hear is that you cannot take your eyes off your kids even for a split second,” urged Stephanie Bakalar, corporate communications manager for the Lifesaving Society Ontario.
“Assign someone else to watch your kids if you have to look away, even if you’re putting sunscreen on another one of your kids.”
The majority of drowning incidents involving children occur in residential settings, such as backyard swimming pools and bathtubs, Bakalar said, but any body of water can be dangerous without proper supervision.
Drowning rates, for all Canadians, typically reach their peak in the country around July and August and on weekends, when the weather is warmer and more families flock to the water to cool off.
The dangers aren’t just in Canada. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), drowning has caused over 2.5 million deaths globally in the last decade, and across all age groups, children ages one to nine experience the highest drowning rates.
In May, two three-year-old children died within five days of each other in Ajax and Oakville, Ont., both the victims of backyard pool drownings.
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