Parks’ safety message for Drowning Prevention Week

Visitors who cross barricades to get a better photo or dip their toes in a stream are those who most often find themselves in trouble. That’s the message Steve Blake, public safety specialist for Parks Canada, wants to get out during National Drowning Prevention week.

“Many drownings are related to land-based visitors, like hikers, who aren’t prepared or expecting to get in the water,” Blake said. “The common sense doesn’t click in because they aren’t aware of the dangers of fast-moving waters.”

The last incident Blake recalled was in August 2003, when a middle-aged man fell into the lower Maligne River.

“It was a nice warm day, he went to cool his feet off and got onto a sloping rock. It was very innocent, I’m sure the person didn’t think he was taking a risk.”

Joe Storms, lead water rescue specialist, said drowning is the third leading cause of accidental death in Canada, with more than 400 victims per year.

“It’s usually associated with not wearing a PFD (personal flotation device),” he said. “In Jasper, the number one person for drowning is a hiker, the ones who hop over the railing and go to the water’s edge.”

Eighteen people have drowned in the park in the last 20 years.

Storms said the issue usually stems from complacency, when people overestimate their ability, or ignorance, when they underestimate the risk.

Parks Canada took the opportunity to get the message out and participate in a water safety training exercise last Friday at the fifth bridge on the Maligne River. Wardens took turns leaping into the current while others tossed safety lines from the shore. Depending on Wardens’ public safety skills, they will specialize in areas such as swift water, mountain or helicopter rescue.

The Maligne River was traveling at about 9 km/h during the demonstration last week at a chilly 7-8 C.

“Because of the water temperatures around here, tolerance is low for an extended period,” Blake said. “Either get out in a hurry, or meet with disaster.”

Though a real-life rescue will never go as smoothly as practice drills, Blake said the training also provides a safety net for rescuers.

“A person could be kilometres from the road when they climb out of the river,” he said. “And we have to be able to search for them.”

National Drowning Prevention Week is an annual initiative of the Lifesaving Society aimed at reducing  water-related fatalities and near-drowning incidents.