Police, experts sound alarm after another fatal drowning in Manitoba
The number of fatal drownings in Manitoba has police and experts issuing a reminder to Manitobans about how quickly fun in the water can turn tragic.
It comes following the death of a 33-year-old man this week at Pine Point Rapids in Whiteshell Provincial Park.
RCMP officers were advised the man was with a youth who wasn’t in the water. There were other people in the area and one person tried to help but couldn’t save the man who started having difficulty in the rapids.
“When he entered the deeper part of the water after the rapids, I guess it’s quite turbulent with a bit of current, he began to struggle and it sounds like he went under very quickly and didn’t resurface,” said Sgt. Paul Manaigre.
The incident, which was reported to officers at around 4 p.m. Aug. 9, occurred on the Whiteshell River where the rapids are located.
Manaigre said flows are still heavier than normal due to high water levels and the man wasn’t wearing a personal flotation device or PFD.
A bystander who jumped in the water to try and help the man couldn’t get to him in time, according to Manaigre.
On Wednesday afternoon an RCMP dive team recovered the man’s body.
“It’s a tragic incident that unfortunately he didn’t make it,” Manaigre said.
Based on police and media reports it’s the 11th fatal drowning so far in Manitoba in 2022 compared to 10 at this time last year.
The majority have occurred in natural bodies of water like lakes and rivers.
To help keep you and your kids safe, the Lifesaving Society Manitoba said you should always swim or boat with a buddy, wear a personal flotation device or life jacket when appropriate and make sure children are always actively supervised and within arms reach if they’re under seven.
“If you’re boating, if you’re doing water sport activities the life jacket needs to be on. Not just there but on,” said Christopher Love, Water Smart and safety management coordinator with the Lifesaving Society Manitoba. “And if it’s small children you can use that as an added layer of protection even if they know how to swim.”
Love said people also need to take the water conditions into consideration. Due to high water strong currents, changing topography and rocks and trees in the water can all pose risks.
“You just can’t take for granted what you may have known about a location before,” Love said. “And be aware that conditions very well may have changed or are still in the process of changing.
"One drowning death is one too many and it’s something that we always want to educate people on so that we’re preventing any future tragedies from taking place out there.”
Love said you should never swim or boat while intoxicated.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Quebec nurse had to clean up after husband's death in Montreal hospital
On a night she should have been mourning, a nurse from Quebec's Laurentians region says she was forced to clean up her husband after he died at a hospital in Montreal.
Cuban government apologizes to Montreal-area family after delivering wrong body
Cuba's foreign affairs minister has apologized to a Montreal-area family after they were sent the wrong body following the death of a loved one.
What is changing about Canada's capital gains tax and how does it impact me?
The federal government's proposed change to capital gains taxation is expected to increase taxes on investments and mainly affect wealthy Canadians and businesses. Here's what you need to know about the move.
'Anything to win': Trudeau says as Poilievre defends meeting protesters
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is accusing Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre of welcoming 'the support of conspiracy theorists and extremists,' after the Conservative leader was photographed meeting with protesters, which his office has defended.
Northern Ont. lawyer who abandoned clients in child protection cases disbarred
A North Bay, Ont., lawyer who abandoned 15 clients – many of them child protection cases – has lost his licence to practise law.
'One of the single most terrifying things ever': Ontario couple among passengers on sinking tour boat in Dominican Republic
A Toronto couple are speaking out about their 'extremely dangerous' experience on board a sinking tour boat in the Dominican Republic last week.
Boeing's financial woes continue, while families of crash victims urge U.S. to prosecute the company
Boeing said Wednesday that it lost US$355 million on falling revenue in the first quarter, another sign of the crisis gripping the aircraft manufacturer as it faces increasing scrutiny over the safety of its planes and accusations of shoddy work from a growing number of whistleblowers.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
Fair in Ontario, flurries in Labrador: Weather systems make for an erratic spring
It's no secret that spring can be a tumultuous time for Canadian weather, and as an unseasonably mild El Nino winter gives way to summer, there's bound to be a few swings in temperature that seem out of the ordinary. From Ontario to the Atlantic, though, this week is about to feel a little erratic.