A new study says an average of seven people in Canada die each year trying to save another person from drowning.
The researchers found that 74 people drowned between January 2010 and December 2019 after attempting a rescue in the water.
The study examined 4,535 fatal drownings in that 10-year timeframe and found someone tried to rescue more than half of them.
Most of those hundreds of rescuers did not have any lifesaving training, but frequently risked their own lives by trying to grab the drowning person in the water.
Study co-author Tessa Clemens says having someone intervene when a person is drowning is critical to their survival, but it's important that untrained rescuers use a non-contact method such as calling for help or throwing a life-jacket, floating toy or another buoyant object the person can grab on to.
Clemens, who is a drowning prevention researcher with the Lifesaving Society of Ontario, says many attempted rescues are parents trying to save their children.
She urges parents and caregivers to avoid ever being in that situation by never taking their eyes off their kids and staying within arm's reach when they're in the water, as well as putting up fences around backyard pools to prevent children from entering the pool area unsupervised.
Clemens says every parent should know how to swim and that adult courses, as well as basic lifesaving training, are available.
The Lifesaving Society released the study, first published in the BMJ in June, on Thursday in advance of the August long weekend.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 31, 2025.
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