What you need to know about water safety as a newcomer to B.C. — or anyone going for an open water swim

CBC News

· Posted: May 03, 2025 9:00 AM EDT | Last Updated: 11 minutes ago

There's been a large accent connected h2o information successful caller years, with the hopes of curbing drowning trends successful B.C. 

But concerns stay astir the deficiency of grooming for galore people, including newcomers to B.C.

"We don't really person numbers of drownings that correlate straight to newcomers to Canada. It is simply a inclination that we're seeing and we're not adjacent needfully seeing it with fatal drownings, but we're seeing it successful drowning rescues arsenic well," said Kimiko Hirakida, director, programs and services, Lifesaving Society of B.C. and Yukon.

"We are getting feedback from our lifeguards that, rather consistently, they are retrieving radical who are caller to Canada." 

In April, a antheral drowned disconnected Wreck Beach adjacent the University of British Columbia. His assemblage was recovered connected Third Beach successful Stanley Park a time later. He was identified arsenic a 26-year-old from India who had arrived successful Canada past year. 

Last summer, a study from the B.C. Coroners Service showed 101 radical died by accidental drowning successful 2023. 

In 2022, determination were 86 deaths, portion the yearly mean from 2012 to 2022 was 76, the work said successful different report. Of those, 85 per cent were people who "were known to person resided successful B.C."

CBC News has reached retired to the Coroners Service astir the fig for 2024.

"If idiosyncratic is relocating to an country with a batch of unfastened water, determination should beryllium a small spot of acquisition connected however you tin beryllium harmless and instrumentality immoderate information courses ... that volition assistance amended you and your household connected however to person water-smart attitudes," Hirakida said. 

Christine Baker, communications and assemblage relations committee member, Vancouver Openwater Swim Association, said successful an interrogation that the extremity isn't to scare people, adding, "You tin perfectly aquatics successful the water safely." 

"But unless you're an extraordinarily experienced swimmer, ever aquatics someplace with lifeguards erstwhile you're swimming successful the ocean. I consciousness similar that would beryllium my cardinal thing," she said. 

While it's chartless if the antheral who drowned past period knew however to swim, some Hirakida and Baker said determination are important points everyone should cognize erstwhile successful unfastened water — nary substance their experience. 

The h2o is cold

If you're swimming successful the ocean, don't expect it to beryllium peculiarly warm, especially this clip of year.

The somesthesia tin impact your movements. Add waves to the mix, and Baker said, "It tin messiness with your equilibrium."

"Swimming is simply a skill, and the water is simply a small spot of an precocious course. You don't person to beryllium a cleanable swimmer to aquatics successful the ocean, but the ocean, it does person tides, and it tin beryllium truly cold, and things that tin hap tin beryllium unexpected," she said.

Trouble happens fast

Speaking of the unexpected, Hirakida said galore radical don't recognize however rapidly occupation tin hap successful unfastened water. This was thing observed by Lifesaving Society lifeguards astatine Buntzen and Hayward lakes past year, she said. 

"Just due to the fact that we tin aquatics good successful a excavation … it doesn't straight construe to however we tin aquatics successful unfastened water," she said. 

Baker agrees, adding you should ne'er aquatics alone. 

"My main proposal for unfastened h2o swimming, if idiosyncratic is caller to it, you've got to spell someplace with lifeguards," she explained. "Learning to aquatics is thing that you truly privation to bash successful a pool."

And don't hide — intoxicant and drugs ne'er premix with h2o safety, Hirakida stressed.

Hazards

Even if the h2o looks calm, objects, vessels, and debris tin travel up quickly.

Baker said radical thin to hide however "invisible" a swimmer tin beryllium to boats, kayakers, and others connected the water. 

"I deliberation the accidental of getting struck by thing is higher than radical mightiness expect … And again, you don't needfully cognize astir the existent — things tin look a spot calmer connected apical and things could beryllium going connected nether the water," she said.

'Bright is best'

To assistance beryllium much disposable successful the water, cautious information of what you're wearing tin marque a difference.

"Remember that agleam is best," Hirakida said, noting darker colours tin beryllium hard to spot successful the water.

She recommends going for bright-coloured bathing suits and beingness jackets.

Swim to Survive

With concerns ongoing, Hirakida said the Lifesaving Society has teamed up with assorted groups successful the Lower Mainland to assistance capable the spread for newcomers. 

The Swim to Survive is simply a nationalist standard, Hirakida explained, teaching radical the "minimum skills needed" to past an unexpected autumn into the water. 

So far, she said there's been occurrence with events successful Delta and Surrey, with plans successful Richmond underway. 

The sessions are escaped and are offered either with oregon without a idiosyncratic flotation device. Hirakida said the nine is capable to connection the sessions successful aggregate languages through translators.

The events are each ages, with families encouraged to larn together. Hirakida said immoderate women-only sessions person besides been held.

For those with swimming acquisition who privation to grow their abilities successful unfastened water, Baker said VOWSA hosts signifier swims.

These 90-minute swims are nether the supervision of lifeguards successful boats successful a circumstantial area, and participants are required to motion successful and out.