DAVIDSON—It’s drowning prevention week and the crew at Panther Pool in Davidson have a full-slate of activities planned to teach people how to be safe when they’re in and on the water.

Drowning prevention week is a national initiative of the Lifesaving Society that encourages people to be water smart.

Nearly 500 Canadians drown in preventable water-related incidents each year. The age groups with the highest risk of drowning are young adults 20-34 years of age, baby boomers 50-64 years of age and seniors over 65. Children under the age of five are also at risk. More than 80 per cent of drowning victims are male, especially those between 20 and 34 years of age.

Panther Pool manager Sarah Bublish says they have daily themes and activities planned to help people stay safe when there isn’t a lifeguard around.

Today, July 16 is Mermaid/Merman Monday. During swimming lessons they’ll promote pool rules and for the public swim there will be competitions that promote the swim to survive standard, something everyone should be able to do in case they find themselves unexpectedly in water.

Achieving the standard involves rolling into deep water, treading water for 60 seconds and then swimming for 50 metres.

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