Whether it’s floating down the river or paddleboarding across a lake, Calgarians are once again reminded that safety should be the foundation of all aquatic summer activities.
Partners in Aquatic Safety, which is a joint effort of Calgary Fire Department (CFD), Calgary Police Service (CPS), and Calgary Community Standards, held an event on June 27, 2024 to remind Calgarians of the safety precautions that should be taken when engaging in activities on bodies of water. This included proper preparation, required equipment, and what to do in case of an emergency as we head into the water recreation season.
“We want everybody to stay safe and have fun this year,” said Darrel Schmidt, Acting Staff Sergeant of the CPS Traffic Unit
Enjoying the Bow River and some of Calgary’s lakes is a big part of summer in the city but it does not come without risk. CFD responded to 105 aquatic rescue emergency calls in 2023, and 129 in 2022. They have responded to 29 calls so far this year.
“The top three issues that we have in regards to water fatality is being impaired by alcohol, not wearing your life jacket, or being exposed to frigid water temperatures,” said Schmidt.
According to the Lifesaving Society’s last 10-year report, Alberta sees around 30 drownings every year, and over 100 hospitalizations related to drowning incidents.
While the summer air temperatures can be up to 35 degrees it doesn’t change the cold temperatures of the mountain waters that feed Calgary’s rivers, which even on a hot day average only 12 to 15 degrees. This is much colder than a typical indoor pool which is on average around 28 degrees, said Alex Kwan, community safety officer with CFD.
“If someone jumps into a cold body of water, our natural reaction is that our breathing rate rapidly increases. We decrease our ability to swim, and so people don’t expect that,” said Kwan.
Cold water shock is more than just the sensation and causes involuntary gasping that can cause a person to inhale water and decrease oxygen to their muscles, making it extremely difficult to swim.
How to prepare
Partners in Aquatic Safety released guidelines to ensure safety when preparing to head on to the city’s waterways.
- Know before you go and make a plan: check weather and water conditions, be aware of any potential hazards specific to the waterway.
- Assess the danger level: evaluate the swimming and paddling skills of your group, monitor conditions closely and avoid the rivers during high-flow advisories. Calgarians can check the flow rates by visiting calgary.ca/watersafety.
- Select the proper watercraft and bring the right safety equipment: ensure your watercraft is suitable for the chosen waterway and meets weight capacity requirements. Have proper paddles or oars to maintain control and navigate around bridge pillars. Remember to provide correctly fitting life jackets or personal flotation devices (PFD) for everyone in the watercraft and carry a boat safety kit.
“It’s very important because our waterways can change flow rates very quickly throughout the day, and that can change the depth of the water and how fast the water’s moving. That also changes some of the hazards,” said Kwan.
Having proper equipment
One of the main points of the media event was the importance of personal flotation devices (PFD), more commonly referred to as lifejackets.
“Everyone’s swimming ability goes down to the same base level if you’re unconscious. So having that lifejacket is super, super important,” said Kwan.
PFDs can come in a range of quality, which is why having one that has been approved by a an accredited body should be a main consideration when purchasing one. The fire department uses flotation devices certified by Transport Canada, UL Solutions and the US Coast Guard.
“If you go and buy it from any department store, just double-check it. But generally, they’re required to only sell products that meet these standards,” said Kwan.
Although not required, it’s also highly recommended that every individual has a safety whistle on their PFD.
Calgary bylaw requires that any person who is interacting with a vessel, which can be anything from a kayak to a tube, needs to have a life jacket on. Failure to comply with the bylaw can result in a fine upwards of $500 and a mandatory court date.
“We do have officers out there year-round, but in particular we’ll have a focus on our bike teams and our teams in and around the downtown areas, focusing on the rivers,” said Sergeant Ty Bobier from Calgary Community Standards.
Other essential items are a 15-meter throw line to use if someone is separated from the craft, water-specific helmets, and paddles even if only using a raft to navigate around obstacles.
“What we see is people get pushed by the current and their boat will get crushed against a bridge pillar. They’ll either get pinned or trapped in that space and they can’t get themselves out,” said Kwan.
What to do in an emergency
In the event of an emergency, calling 911 should always be the first thing to do. CFD has three aquatic rescue halls: 6, 21, and 30.
“Response times can vary greatly depending if we have a boat already on the river and where the emergency is happening. If the boat is close to the incident, response time can be mere minutes, but if the boat is in the fire station, then it could take much longer,” said Carol Henke, public information officer for CFD.
CFD doesn’t recommend going into the water to help someone in distress and to throw a flotation device or the 15-meter throw rope that should be aboard your vessel instead. Also instructing the person to self-rescue while waiting for emergency services.
“If you put yourself at risk, that then creates two people that we potentially have to rescue,” said Kwan.
Going into the long weekend, Calgarians should enjoy summer activities, but in a responsible way. More information can be found here.
