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Saaanich event teaches water survival skills

Swim to Survive offered free Sunday at Saanich Commonwealth Place
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Swim to Survive, a program to provide water survival skills to children and youth, is being offered free Sunday at Saanich Commonwealth Place. Saanich News file photo

Water safety will be highlighted during a free event Sunday at Saanich Commonwealth Place.

Swim to Survive, running Sunday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., is designed to teach drowning prevention as well as highlight the importance of water smart behaviour in children and youth.

“Events such as Swim to Survive help to make a positive impact in our community. This is especially important for communities such as Saanich, where large bodies of water are easily accessible for our children and youth,” said Heather Belecky, aquatic programmer at Saanich Commonwealth Place.

“My hope for the event is that families from all over the Island come to the pool, engage in the activities, and have fun, all while learning water smart behaviours that they carry with them into the summer.”

Drowning remains the second leading cause of preventable death in Canada and the majority of people who drown had no intention of going into water – their immersion is sudden and unexpected. It is estimated that half of Canadian children have never taken part in a formal swimming lessons.

Swim to Survive aims to provide essential survival skills such as recovering from a disorienting fall into water, the ability to swim 50 metres and tread water for 60 seconds, provide basic lifesaving and resuscitation skills and the ability to safely rescue a friend from drowning.

“This event will provide hundreds of children, youth and adults with some basic awareness and lifesaving skills that will someday save a life, their own or that of a loved one,” said Dale Miller, the executive director of the B.C. and Yukon branch of the Livesaving Society. “The Lifesaving Society’s objective is to prevent drowning, and Swim to Survive training will certainly help to decrease the number of water-related tragedies in B.C.”

Families are welcome to take part in the program together. To register visit lgos.ca. For more information, contact Belecky at Heather.Belecky@saanich.ca.



Dan Ebenal

About the Author: Dan Ebenal

Throughout my career, I've taken on roles as a reporter and editor in more than a dozen newsrooms across the province.
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