The Lifesaving Society of Canada reported last week that drowning deaths are way up in Ontario this year. They suggest the weather is likely the primary cause for the increase. Their report is very interesting, and I’ve taken parts of it to publish here for you information.
The key information is that most people drown in open water (lakes, rivers and streams) and that they are mostly men in those settings. Here are the facts from the report.
WHO is drowning?
The vast majority of Ontario drowning victims continue to be men (8 out of 10). Between 2009 and 2013, the average water-related fatality rate for men was 1.9 per 100,000 population compared to 0.6 for women. In the most current two years of data (2012 and 2013), there has been a slight increase in the number of female drowning victims – 25% were female in each of these two years, the greatest proportion in the last 10 years. The highest drowning rates among females occurred in seniors over 65 years of age.
By age, the highest drowning rates in Ontario were once again found among adults over 65 years of age, ranging from 1.8 per 100,000 (among 65-69 year olds) to 2.8 per 100,000 (among 85-89-year-olds). The next highest water-related fatality rate was found in 55-60-year-olds (1.6 per 100,000). This differs from national trends. In many other provinces, the highest rates were found among young adults. Young adults are also at risk in Ontario: 20-24-year-olds had the highest drowning death rate of any age group under 55 (1.5 per 100,000 population).
Despite a long term trend towards decreased drowning death rates among children under 5 years in Canada, rates remain relatively high in this age group in Ontario. Between 2009 and 2013, the average water-related fatality rate for children under 5 was 1.3 per 100,000, compared to a national rate of 1.1. In the most current five year period alone, 46 children under the age of 5 drowned.
WHERE are they drowning?
Natural bodies of water continue to account for the largest proportion of drowning deaths in Ontario in the 2009-2013 period (68%). Lakes claimed the greatest number of lives (46%) followed by rivers and streams (22%). Although lakes were still the most common site for drowning in 2013, fewer people drowned in this setting than in previous years (56 deaths compared to a typical yearly average of 83), and more people drowned in a river or stream than in previous years (50 deaths compared to a typical yearly average of 36).
Once again bathtubs (12%) were the most common man-made setting where drowning deaths occurred in Ontario. There were 102 bathtub drownings during the five year period (2009-2013), 20 more than had occurred in the previous five-year period (82 in 2004-2008). Seniors are disproportionately at risk for drowning in a bathtub. In 2013, 60% of bathtub drowning victims were seniors over the age of 65.
Private pools once again accounted for 10% of all drownings in Ontario. Children under the age of 5 are particularly vulnerable to drowning in this setting. There were 19 children 0-4 years old who drowned in a private backyard pool, making it the most common setting for drowning in this age group (41%). Drowning deaths in lifeguard supervised settings continue to be rare: in 2009-2013 only 1% of drownings in Ontario occurred under lifeguard supervision.
In 2009-2013, drownings more commonly occurred in urban (67%) than rural (33%) settings. By district, the three most common locations for drowning deaths in 2013 remain the same as those for 2012. Toronto had the greatest number (12%) followed by Kenora (9%), and Simcoe (6%).
What were they doing?
Daily living incidents accounted for a quarter of all drowning deaths in Ontario (25%). Almost half of these (47%) were bathing fatalities, and another quarter (24%) occurred as the result of a motor vehicle collision where the vehicle ended up in the water. In 2013, 15 people drowned as the result of a motor vehicle collision, the greatest number of deaths by this mechanism in the five year period.
By type of activity, the greatest proportion of incidents in 2009-2013 occurred during an aquatic activity (30%) where the person intended to be in the water and something went wrong. This was followed by nonaquatic incidents (24%) and boating incidents (20%). Boating incidents were down substantially in 2012 (22 deaths, 12% of the total). This trend continued to a lesser degree in 2013 with 28 boating deaths (17% of the total), compared with 35 or more boating deaths per year in each of the five years prior to the initial drop in 2012. This decrease may in part be due to effective boating safety initiatives. The majority of boating related fatalities in 2009-2013 occurred during powerboat use (60%) or canoeing (23%), and 88% of boaters were known to not be wearing a lifejacket at the time of the incident.
