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
They were from different countries and barely spoke each other's languages. More than 20 years later, they're still happily in love
He decided to spend Christmas somewhere that wouldn't involve snowstorm disasters. She was spending the holidays with family, travelling for the first time outside of her native country of Venezuela. 23 years later, they're still in love.
Man who set himself on fire outside Trump trial dies of injuries, police say
A man who doused himself in an accelerant and set himself on fire outside the courthouse where former U.S. President Donald Trump is on trial has died, police said.
Verdun Airbnb listing taken down amid complaints, fines and frustration from neighbours
An Airbnb in Montreal's Verdun borough was the source of much frustration from neighbours who say there were constant parties at the location. It has been taken down from the app, but housing advocates remain upset about short-term rentals.
Young people 'tortured' if stolen vehicle operations fail, Montreal police tell MPs
One day after a Montreal police officer fired gunshots at a suspect in a stolen vehicle, senior officers were telling parliamentarians that organized crime groups are recruiting people as young as 15 in the city to steal cars so that they can be shipped overseas.
Fire in Labrador town under control, officials tells residents to stay away
RCMP say the fire that prompted a state of emergency in a Labrador town is now under control.
12 students and teacher killed in Columbine school shooting remembered at 25th anniversary vigil
Thirteen victims of the Columbine High School shooting were remembered during a vigil Friday on the eve of the 25th anniversary of the shooting that was the worst the nation had seen at the time.
Israeli airstrike in southern Gaza city of Rafah kills at least 9 Palestinians, including 6 children
An Israeli airstrike on a house in Gaza's southernmost city killed at least nine people, six of them children, hospital authorities said Saturday, as Israel pursued its nearly seven-month offensive in the besieged Palestinian territory.
Mandisa, Grammy award-winning 'American Idol' alum, dead at 47
Soulful gospel artist Mandisa, a Grammy-winning singer who got her start as a contestant on 'American Idol' in 2006, has died, according to a statement on her verified social media. She was 47.
Iraq investigates a blast at a base of Iran-allied militias that killed 1. U.S. denies involvement
Iraqi authorities said Saturday that they were investigating an explosion that struck a base belonging to the Popular Mobilization Forces, a coalition of Iran-allied militias, killing one person and injuring eight.