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There are approximately 500 drownings/year in Canada.
Be safe and prepared.
Toronto (10 July 2014) — Don't be a fool. Be safe around the pool, is the strong reminder from members of the Ontario Pubilc Service Employees Union (OPSEU/NUPGE) who work as paramedics.
They know their statistics since they face them everyday. There are approximately 500 drownings/year in Canada.
For every drowning there are four water incidents requiring visits to emergency departments. The majority of drownings occur in the summer – especially on weekends.
Most pool drownings of children occur during a momentary absence of their caregiver.
Diving is the leading sports-related cause of spinal cord injury.
What to do:
- Learn to swim
- Learn CPR
- Keep basic life saving equipment by the pool (rope, pole, flotation device)
- Always supervise children
In the event of an emergency call 911.
NUPGE
The National Union of Public and General Employees (NUPGE) is one of Canada's largest labour organizations with over 340,000 members. Our mission is to improve the lives of working families and to build a stronger Canada by ensuring our common wealth is used for the common good. NUPGE