Be cautious near bodies of water, says expert, as search continues for Sainte-Adele teenager

This summer could be a deadly one if people aren’t careful around bodies of water, says the executive director of Quebec’s Lifesaving Society.

This comes after a teenager is believed to have fallen in a river in Sainte-Adele, Que., on Thursday.

“When you’re close to the water or in the water, on the water, please never be alone,” said Raynald Hawkins.

The Lifesaving Society says incidents like those happen more often than people realize.

“This is the place where we have the most drowning situations in Quebec,” said Hawkins. “Forty-one per cent of drownings occur inside rivers, 30 per cent of drownings occur inside lakes, and five per cent of them were in the St-Lawrence River.

“If you don’t see any swimming area or facilities, that means it’s not appropriate to be close or in rivers.

“In this case, I presume the victim was very close on the galley. You know, those big rocks that we have near and on the river. So maybe she fell down inside. Very bad for her and for her family and friends. We know, usually, it’s more because people try to swim in the river and I’m sure that was not the intention.”

WATCH: Experts emphasize swim safety amid recent Quebec drownings (2021)

Hawkins says the COVID-19 pandemic is party to blame for a decrease in the number of children and young adults taking swimming lessons. The pandemic has also led to a shortage of lifeguard staff, adds Hawkins.

“What happened during the summer of 2020, the first year of the pandemic, because everyone stayed in Quebec and we got a very beautiful summer, so everyone was close or in the water,” he said. “And at that summer or during this year, we had 95 unofficial drownings. So that’s mean 50 more than the average.”

Along with taking swimming lessons, experts are reminding people to never go in the water alone, wear a lifejacket when boating or kayaking at all times, and be very cautious when treading near bodies of water, even if the water seems calm, as a current or a vortex can form at any point.