Drowning Board

Drowning Board & Map

Drowning is preventable. Here at the Lifesaving Society of BC & Yukon, we take this statement seriously and know that the primary way to prevent drowning is through creatively communicating preventative drowning information through data visualization.

While our Drowning Board provides concrete numbers, our interactive Drowning Map provides the location and a synopsis of the circumstances surrounding drowning in our area. It can happen quickly; be informed, be prepared and stay safe!

British Columbia & Yukon have been drowning free for

11 Days

Total Number of Drownings in
British Columbia & Yukon this Year

Date: 25-Jan-2025
City: Whitehorse
Water Location: Lake Laberge
Gender: Unknown
Age: Unknown
Province: Yukon

RCMP divers have recovered the body of a person who went missing after a vehicle went through the ice on Yukon's Lake Laberge. Police said in a news release on Monday that B.C. RCMP's Under Water Recovery Team was able to find and recover the person from the submerged vehicle late on Sunday afternoon. Police were first notified that the vehicle had gone through the ice around 1 a.m. Saturday, while a group of people were ice fishing on the lake. RCMP said on the weekend that three people were in the vehicle when it submerged, and only two of them were able to get out and reach safety. The recovery operation for the missing person had been expected to take several days, police said. RCMP said Monday that the investigation continues and that they'll release no other details about the deceased person.

Date: 18-Jan-2025
City: Chilliwack
Water Location: Chilliwack River
Gender: Male
Age: Unknown
Province: British Columbia
Address: 49.089593, -122.063603

Near drowning - A man who was believed to have drowned in a Chilliwack river Saturday morning has been found safe and well, say police. Chilliwack RCMP had issued a call for help from the public in identifying a person who had seemingly disappearing in the Vedder River around 10:53 a.m. Saturday morning. Mounties were called to a report of a person in distress in the river and arrived to find two fishing rods and a green toque, but no person in the water when they arrived. “At approximately 6:30 PM, the man who was calling out for help called the Chilliwack RCMP and advised that he was safe and was able to get himself off the river,” Chilliwack RCMP said in an update Saturday evening.

Date: 01-Jan-2025
City: Port Moody
Water Location: Reed Point Marina
Gender: Female
Age: 60s
Province: British Columbia

Potential Drowning - A woman was found dead in the water in Port Moody on New Year's Day, according to police, who say criminality has not been ruled out in the case. Officers were called to the wharf at the Reed Point Marina around 9 a.m. for reports of "a deceased person in the water," the Port Moody Police Department said in a news release Thursday. Police, with assistance from the Coast Guard, retrieved the body from the water. Detectives with the major crimes unit are investigating the circumstances leading up to the death of the woman, who was in her 60s. "Initial information suggests the incident is isolated in nature," the statement from police said.

Who is drowning?

78% Male

22 % Female

28%
[2.2*]

Age 20 - 34

25%
[1.9*]

Age 50 - 64

18%
[1.8*]

Age 65 +

* Death Rate per 100,000 / Year

Where?

37%

Lake / Pond

28%

River

16%

Ocean

8%

Other

7%

Bathtub

4%

Pool

1%

Drowning in a Lifeguard supervised setting

When

67%

OF DROWNINGS OCCURRED FROM

May

Sept

WHat Were They Doing?

26%

Aquatic

35%

Boating

17%

Non-Aquatic

55%

Powerboat

12%

Canoe

11%

Inflatable Craft

High Risk Groups:

Children Under 5
Men Aged 18-49

Public Education

The Lifesaving Society conducts research into fatal and non-fatal drowning, aquatic injury, and rescue interventions. The Lifesaving Society focuses WaterSmart drowning prevention efforts on people most at risk – like men fishing in small boats - or on those who can make a significant difference, such as parents of young children. Ongoing research and analysis support the Society’s evidence-based water rescue training and WaterSmart drowning prevention education.

112-3989 Henning Drive
Burnaby, BC
V5C 6N5

T: 604.299.5450

General inquiries: info@lifesaving.bc.ca

Awards inquiries: awards@lifesaving.bc.ca

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