After at least 22 drownings in Quebec since the start of the year — including two at Montreal’s Verdun Beach in recent weeks — the Quebec Lifesaving Society is renewing its calls for caution.
“Follow the instructions, that way you’ll have stories to tell instead of tragedies to inflict on your loved ones,” said executive director Raynald Hawkins.
Recreational and sport swimming are the leading causes of the roughly 80 drownings in Quebec every year. And in half of those cases, the person is alone when it happens, he said.
That’s why one should never swim alone, he said. That way, if there’s a problem, someone can call 911 or attempt a rescue.
It’s also crucial that people not overestimate their swimming ability, he said.
Adam Di Fulvio, founder of Montreal Institute of Swimming, said people should be doing a safety assessment whenever they are around water. That means checking for life vests, if there is a lifeguard on duty, how fast the water is moving — all things to keep in mind no matter your swimming ability, he said.
“Be aware of the risks,” he said. “A lot of people think drowning happens to others, but it happens to everyone.”
When going outside supervised swimming zones or into a river with a current, Hawkins recommends wearing a life vest.
At a place like Verdun Beach, Hawkins said swimmers should stay within the designated swimming zone.
“As soon as you cross that line, there are definitely currents,” he said. “The moment you go beyond the swim zone, you’re taking a risk.”
Hawkins said, when the City of Montreal established the beach, it conducted hydrographic studies to make sure the area would be protected from currents.
“But the fact remains, you’re in the river. So of course there’s current,” he said.
Hawkins pointed out that even if the surface of the water looks calm, there can be strong currents, vortexes and downward suction underneath.
With climate change in mind, Hawkins said he believes water supervision should start earlier in the season.
At the time of the first death at Verdun Beach on June 7, the beach had not yet opened and was therefore unsupervised.
But at the time of the second death, on Monday, the beach was open and supervised.
“A young man lost his life in the river — again, outside the supervised swimming zone at Verdun Beach,” said borough mayor Marie-Andrée Mauger, expressing her condolences on Facebook to the family and friends of the victim.
“Outside the supervised swimming area, the river is very dangerous and swimming conditions are highly risky due to strong currents, variable depths and uneven footing.”
According to the Quebec Lifesaving Society’s 2024 report on drowning, 76 per cent of victims are male. The report says 25 per cent of drownings happen while people are not engaged in a water activity, but fall in while walking, hiking or working. Di Fulvio said this is why people should always be thinking ahead about safety when near water, not only when they plan on boating or swimming.
Rivers are where people drown the most, accounting for 35 per cent of cases while less than one per cent happen in supervised swimming areas.
Di Fulvio said men in the 25 to 50 age group are often among victims — alcohol is often involved, as is being alone and not having a life jacket. He said rivers often claim lives because the water is moving faster than people realize.
“People get caught in the current. They get pulled away. They get tired and the water takes them,” he said.
