Islanders and visitors alike should educate themselves about water safety before heading to the beach, said a spokeswoman for Parks Canada.
Arja Romaniuk, visitor safety and fire co-ordinator, said it’s important for beachgoers to understand the ocean is a “very dynamic environment” and can change in an instant.
It is also important to pay attention to the visual warnings on the beach – such as signage and flags – and to listen to the warnings from the lifeguards on duty about the surf conditions and whether there are rip currents present, she said.
“On the beaches, the surfguards are doing an excellent job at educating people when they do come down,” said Romaniuk. “When the surf conditions are at dangerous, if anyone goes near the water the surfguards will directly approach them and make sure that they’re informed of the risk and that they are advising for their own safety not to go in the water.”
According to the Drowning Prevention Research Centre Canada, more than 200 people have drowned in Canada so far this year, including three in P.E.I.
The most recent P.E.I. incident occurred Aug. 17, when a 43-year-old Quebec man drowned off of Cavendish beach.
What to do if you're caught in a rip current:
- Don’t fight the current
- Swim out of the current, then to shore
- If you can’t escape, float or tread water
- If you need help, call or wave for assistance
RELATED: Quebec visitor drowns off North Shore
While the incident remains under investigation, the RCMP said in a news release that water conditions were reported as “dangerous with high surf” at the time of the drowning.
Romaniuk said surf conditions are determined based on what the guards observe that day.
“We give them parameters to work around to help guide them in their decision-making” she said, adding a general rule of thumb says if the surf is over three feet high, it is posted as dangerous.
However, this isn’t the only determining factor, she said.
“It really depends on what they’re feeling in the water in terms of lateral currents, and kind of what they’re seeing on the beach themselves,” Romaniuk said. “But it really comes down to the judgement of the surf guards themselves, because they have the most experience assessing the currents along the shore.”
RELATED: Islanders warned about dangers of rip currents during lead-up to summer
Along with flags, signage and lifeguards educating the public, when surf conditions are dangerous, Parks Canada also posts the information to its website, over social media and through the regular media.
But in the end, it’s up to the beach-goer whether or not he or she enters the water, she said.
“It’s our responsibility to make sure that the visitors are making an informed decision about the risks that they are taking on, but we can’t physically stop them from going in the water.”
Fast facts
- Drowning is the third leading cause of unintentional injury death worldwide, accounting for seven per cent of all injury-related deaths.
- There are an estimated 360,000 annual drowning deaths worldwide.
- Global estimates may significantly underestimate the actual public health problem related to drowning.
- Children, males and individuals with increased access to water are most at risk of drowning.
Source: World Health Organization
Adam Ross, past-president and current co-chairman of the Lifesaving Society of P.E.I. with more than 10 years of experience teaching lifeguards, said there are a number of factors guards consider when determining the condition of the surf.
“It’s certainly not a science, it’s more of an art. But they’re trained to identify those hazards and then grade those hazards based on the risk to the patrons and the risk to themselves. Then they combine that information – make a decision on surf conditions.”
Poll: Have you ever been caught in a rip current?
While it’s important to keep up public education, it comes down to the swimmer’s behaviour, he said. “We can’t physically refrain someone from entering the water, but we train the guards to be diligent in educating the public,” he said. “We actually do a tremendous job on P.E.I. of educating.”
Ross called Friday’s incident “eye-opening”.
“It’s not an easy job,” he said. “These guys are professionals, they’re first responders. There’s a lot of weight on their shoulders, and a day like Friday is, unfortunately, a part of the job.”
Parks Canada provided debriefings for surfguards and staff who were involved in Friday’s incident.
For information about rip currents, check out the below video:
