How to be water safe this summer

As summer grows closer, officials are renewing water safety tips in hopes of preventing drowning deaths.

The Lifesaving Societysays water-relateddeaths in B.C. have declined in recent years as more people become aware of the importance of water safety, but the province always sees a sharp uptick in drowningsduring warmer months.

More than 80 per cent drown in natural bodies of water like lakes, rivers and oceans.

The society's latest annual report says the highest drowning rates were found among men, young adults aged 20 to 34, and middle-aged adults under 50.

Nearly 20 per cent of the time, people were swimming or fishing when they drowned.

Here are some water safety tips, compiled fromthe Lifesaving Society.

The ABCDE's of keeping kids safe

• Active supervision: keep children within arm's reach.Designate at least one adult to be the 'parent lifeguard' who is doing nothing other than watching the kids in the water.
• Barriers: The majority of backyard pool incidents involve a child getting into a pool area when they shouldn't. The ideal pool barrier is four-sided, has a self-closing, self-latching gate and is at least 1.2 metreshigh. Toys should be cleared from the pool when not in use to avoid them attracting a child to enter.
• Classes: Adults responsible for supervising children around water should have some basic knowledge of what to do when things go wrong. Take a CPR or first aid course, or learn water rescue through a lifesaving course at your local pool.
• Devices: A child wearing a Personal Flotation Device (PFD) is much safer around the water or in the boat. Have some form of flotation device to help rescue someone else without putting yourself at risk
• Environment: Know the water conditions and weather before you go out on the water.

For adults

• Know your abilities. Even older children or strong adult swimmers can find themselves in distress when swimming.
• Don't consume alcohol before swimming. Alcohol was a factor in 40per cent of all swimming deaths between 2009 and 2013.
• Swim with friends. Nearly a third of drowning victims werealone when they died.
• Swim where a lifeguard is on watch.

For boaters

• Everyone needs to wear a life jacket.
• Obey speed limitsat all times, especially in crowded areas.
• Always have a spotter when tubing or water-skiing.