BY BARB THOMSON

Special to Black Press

One fine summer day a bunch of us kids were splashing around in a lake, and I got the idea to play 鈥淟ifeguard.鈥�

Since I was the oldest and smartest eight-year-old, I named myself the star swimmer in distress. I dog-paddled out and yelled as loud as I could, 鈥淗elp, help, I鈥檓 drowning!鈥� The shoreline exploded. People burst out of tents, leapt off their blankets, a panicked crowd raced across the beach toward the water to rescue the drowning child. Stunned and shamed by the instant reaction to my profound stupidity, I almost wished I was.

Such is the Hollywood myth of a drowning person who calls for help. Drowning happens like this: In the panic to hold my breath, my airways narrow. An involuntary shock gasp pulls water into my lungs. Rising and sinking, I choke and swallow water, unable to raise my hands without lowering my body, my airway either closes or my lungs expand with water. Deprived of oxygen, I lose consciousness and die of asphyxiation. I cannot yell for help because my mouth, my nose, my throat, and my lungs, all have water in them.

Drowning is silent and quick and dispatches about 400 Canadians each year. Recreational boating accounts for 21 per cent of drowning fatalities; nine out of 10 are male and 80 per cent were not wearing a lifejacket (Drowning Prevention Research Centre). In 2021, the Canadian Drowning Prevention Coalition joined forces with the Drowning Prevention Research Centre and released the Canadian Drowning Prevention Plan 9th Edition 2022 . One of the report鈥檚 key recommendations is: 鈥淏y 2024, Small Vessel Regulations should be amended to require that passengers of all ages wear a properly fitting, Transport Canada approved, personal floatation device or lifejacket while on or in a boat under 6m [19.6ft] for any purpose.鈥�

Earlier this month, I attended a Zoom slide presentation by Geoffrey Tasker, policy analyst, Safety and Security Group, Transport Canada. He presented their efforts to collect national data and feedback from marine groups and other stakeholder views regarding the criteria for potential regulatory amendments. In short, Transport Canada is asking: will mandatory PFD regulation save lives?

Some rules are guidelines. Consider the 1-10-1 Rule: one minute to control your breathing; 10 minutes to incapacitation; one hour to hypothermia. Other rules can feel intrusive and inconvenient, like seatbelts and bike helmets, as we attempt to speak for those who can no longer call out for help.

Barb Thomson is a boating enthusiast who writes regular columns for the Comox Valley Record.