THUNDER BAY – Transport Canada is reminding everyone the importance of lifejackets.
Boating-related fatalities continue to account for a substantial portion of water-related deaths in Canada each year, and they are entirely preventable.
According to the Drowning Prevention Research Centre, there are about 100 boating-related fatalities in Canada each year, and 80 per cent of people who died in these incidents were not wearing a lifejacket.
Transport Canada employees have found those numbers quite disheartening.
In the Ontario region, there is an average of over 150 fatal drowning deaths each year according to the Drowning Prevention Research Centre in Canada.
For every fatal drowning, there are nearly four non-fatal drownings that are serious enough to require an emergency department visit.
In 2020, 21 per cent of drownings were boating related and 64 per cent of drownings in Ontario occurred from May to Sept.
Transport Canada employees remind you that lifejackets save lives, and to be safe this Canada Day weekend.
Choosing the right lifejackets.
