Swimming and Water Safety

Learning how to swim is beneficial at all ages. Adults ranging from little or no experience to those training for a triathlon have options to enhance their water skills and comfort level through a number of Red Cross swimming courses.
 

Do you imagine drowning to be splashy and loud, with arms flailing and screams for help, as perhaps seen in a movie? If you thought you could hear if a loved one was drowning, you would be sorely mistaken. The reality is that someone could be drowning a few feet away from you and you wouldn’t know it – because drowning is often silent.

It’s the time of year when many schools have a spring or March break and often families will take advantage of the time off to travel or get active. Whether it’s preparing to take a tropical trip or getting ready to entertain out-of-school youth, here are some tips to get ready.

With recent extreme cold weather, it is very natural to feel a sense of relief when you see temperatures rising. Great for our human bodies not meant to be in -20 degree temperature for more than 10 minutes without risking frostbite, but not so great for other risks such as flooding and ice strength.

Fishermen can easily be spotted out on the water, and closer to the shore, people digging in sand are shovelling away at the riverbed. Sekou Menta and his father are among them. Nearby, the women are doing laundry. Beside them, children are playing in the water.  Suddenly, their giggles turn to screams. The current has just swept two of them away.

As many of us Canadians are experiencing, winter months can be cold, icy and snowy – and all we want to do is bundle up and stay warm.  A natural tendency, for sure, but did you know wintertime is a great time to learn how to swim? Here's why.

No matter how careful, emergencies on the ice can still happen. Here is what to do if you fall through the ice, or you need to help someone fall through the ice. 

Digital volunteer Farah Ng's and her family were quick to embrace Canada's winter weather when relatives arrived from Hong Kong - in this blog she shares some ways to enjoy fun on the ice while staying safe.