The County of Essex is surrounded on three sides by water and it’s vital that everyone, especially young children and teens, is safe and sensible when in, or near, water — from background pools to River Canard to the Detroit River to Lakes Erie and St. Clair.

July 20 to 26 is National Drowning Prevention Week. The theme this year – Safer Together – emphasizes the importance of always swimming with a buddy, swimming where the lifeguards are and always keeping an eye on younger swimmers and even keeping them within arm’s reach.

More than 400 Canadians die in preventable water-related incidents every year. About 160 people drown every year in Ontario. Drowning is the third-leading cause of injury-related death for Canadian children under age 14. Children under 12, boaters, young men and people over 65 are at the greatest risk.

We can all work to improve those statistics and be safer together by following some simple, straightforward tips:

Supervise children: Always directly supervise children around the water. If you are not within arms’ reach, you’ve gone too far.

Boating safety: Don’t boat alone and always wear a lifejacket when in a boat.

Learn to swim: In most drownings, the victim never intended to go in the water and was often close to safety. Could you survive a sudden and unexpected fall into the water?

Stay sober In, on, and around water: Alcohol consumption is a factor in many water-related fatalities. Alcohol and cannabis use both impair balance, judgment and reflexes. Stay sober when in, on or around the water.

Open-water safety: Make smart choices before going in, on or around the water.

Just keep learning: You can save a life — yours or someone else’s. Take a learn-to-swim, lifesaving or first aid class today.

Learn more about water safety from the Livesaving Society: https://www.lifesavingsociety.com/water-safety.aspx