More than 20 B.C. drowning deaths reported this year amid water safety warnings

British Columbia is on pace for a record-breaking year of drowning deaths, with 27 fatal incidents reported so far in 2026, prompting water-safety advocates to intensify pleas for life jackets and swimming precautions.

The Lifesaving Society's B.C. and Yukon branch, which compiled the count, points to recent high-profile incidents: a drowning on Okanagan Lake on June 29 and the presumed deaths of six boaters off Richmond on June 28. By comparison, B.C. saw 93 drowning deaths in all of 2025, with a third occurring during summer months. The first six months of 2025 alone logged 43 deaths.

Executive director Lenea Grace said the society believes B.C. will exceed 2025's toll if the current trajectory holds. She likened life jackets to seatbelts in cars: "You'd never get into your car without doing up your seat belts, so please make sure that you're zipping and clipping your life jacket on when you set foot on a boat."

The society would like to see life jackets made mandatory for adults. Currently, Transport Canada requires life jackets aboard boats for all passengers, but only children are required to wear them. Adults can choose to forgo them.

Grace offered practical guidance: swim with a buddy at all times; know your abilities in the water; assess conditions before entering, even in familiar spots; keep children within arm's reach and under supervision; and swim in lifeguard-supervised areas when possible. She noted that less than one percent of drownings occur at beaches with lifeguards on duty.

A critical point Grace emphasized: drowning is often silent and happens fast. "People think that people will be thrashing about, yelling for help, and that's usually not the case. It's silent, and it happens very quickly."