82 Quebecers died in drownings last year: Lifesaving Society
Posted January 11, 2024 1:58 pm.
Last Updated January 11, 2024 1:59 pm.
In 2023, 82 Quebecers lost their lives by drowning, up from 61 deaths in 2022.
This, according to new data from the Lifesaving Society.
The Montérégie region remains the most affected, with 18 of the drownings recorded last year.
The Lifesaving Society says natural bodies of water are where the most fatalities occur.
There were 26 drowning events linked to boating. Swimming was responsible for 11 events.
The Akwesasne tragedy claimed the lives of multiple people, including two children from migrant families, last March.
Four children also died during a fishing trip in Portneuf-sur-Mer in June.
Two firefighters were swept away by a river in May, during flooding in Charlevoix.
In Rivière-Éternité, in the Saguenay region, a landslide claimed the lives of two people last summer.
The majority of fatalities occurred during the summer season – but there was a significant increase in September and October, with 17 deaths – as warmer weather continued.
In 2021, there were 81 deaths by drowning, and in 2020, there were 121 fatalities.
The Lifesaving Society hopes that Transport Canada and the federal government will regulate the mandatory wearing of flotation jackets for water sports – adding that, that alone, could reduce the number of deaths in Quebec by 20 a year.
