Now that summer has finally arrived, people in Burnaby are enjoying the noisy fun at local pools and out on Burnaby's lakes.
But the dangerous side of this fun in and on the water is much quieter.
Drowning can be silent, according to Wendy Scott, the city of Burnaby's assistant director of parks, recreation and cultural services.
"Often someone who gets into distress in a pool - they don't shout and they don't splash around," she said. "Sometimes they just sink to the bottom, and there's been no indication."
Burnaby's outdoor pools opened at the end of May, and now that the sun is out, more people are heading to both the outdoor and indoor pools in the city, Scott noted.
"The pool is a fun place, but at the same time, it could be very dangerous," she said.
Local lifeguards are aware of that fine line, and local swimmers need to be, too, she added.
Adults need to be within arms' reach of any children under seven at local pools, Scott said.
"Any amount of water can be a problem for kids," she added.
Burnaby's lifeguards have their current qualifications and go through orientations every season, according to Scott, and are taught the proto-col for the specific pools where they work.
But parents and guardians need to stay alert, as well, she added.
"They've always got to have their eyes on the kids," she said, "even though lifeguards are there."
Scott mentioned drowning incidents at backyard pools in the Lower Mainland in recent weeks and said she recommends that people with private pools who are hosting children hire a lifeguard when they do so.
And Scott, a former lifeguard herself, knows whereof she speaks - when she was a child, she attended a pool party with her parents and began to drown, she said
The owners had hired some local teenagers, who were trained as lifeguards, for the party, she added.
"Luckily, they pulled me out," she said. "It's not that my parents were being negligent, they were just socializing."
Even if an adult is paying attention, they may not have the skills to resuscitate someone if necessary, she added.
The City of Burnaby follows the water safety guidelines of the Lifesaving Society, B.C. and Yukon branch, which is based in Burnaby.
Wendy Schultenkamper, education director for the branch, agreed with Scott that having trained and aware swimmers with young kids is essential at pools or the beach.
"It's really important that parents or guardians be within arms' reach and direct view of their children at all times with no distractions," she said. "When you're supervising your children around the water, that's really the only thing you should have your eyes on."
She also mentioned that drowning is often silent.
"Very often, the violent struggle occurs under the water," she said. "It's a very quiet event compared with what we see on TV."
If someone is vertical, or straight up and down in water above their head, they aren't able to swim, Schultenkamper said, adding if the head is far back and the eyes are big, the swimmer is likely in trouble.
Swimming lessons can help prepare children and adults for the water, she noted. She also suggested parents take basic lifesaving courses and learn water rescue and resuscitation techniques.
Parents should also make good choices around the water, Schultenkamper added, by taking children to pools or beaches with lifeguards and knowing the area where they're swimming.
Other water safety tips from Schultenkamper focused on boat use.
The rules for boats are similar to rules for driving a car, she pointed out - no drinking and driving, and wearing a life jacket should be considered a necessity, like wearing a seat belt.
The society is organizing events and its annual awareness campaign for National Drowning Prevention Week later this month, from July 21 to 29.
jfuller-evans@ burnabynow.com
