‘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.
Edmonton's single-use waste rules were controversial and unpopular when introduced in 2023 — but new data shows the changes are having the intended effect of reducing garbage.
Carney's speech to Australia's parliament highlighted a soon-to-launch Canadian low earth orbit satellite network that experts say could soon compete with Elon Musk's Starlink.
The Pentagon said in a statement Thursday that it has “officially informed Anthropic leadership the company and its products are deemed a supply chain risk, effective immediately.”
Opioid overdose deaths in Canada are falling, but there's growing concerns on a certain veterinary tranquilizer being cut into fentanyl and other opioids.
The product is being recalled in Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec and Saskatchewan due to 'undeclared almonds' being found.
Toronto Maple Leafs defenceman Chris Tanev is out for the rest of the season, the NHL team announced Wednesday.
A large swath of southern Alberta is under a snowfall warning, with up to 30 centimetres of snow forecast to fall in some areas before the snow tapers off by Saturday morning.
Coined forever chemicals due to the years it takes for them to break down, PFAS are 'a group of thousands of human-made chemicals' commonly found in everyday items.