During a stop in Flin Flon Life Saving Manitoba’s Water Smart and Safety Management Coordinator Dr. Christopher Love issued a warning about the dangers of cold water….

“Cold water is basically anything that’s below 25 degrees Celsius and in Canada most of our water is considered cold year round because even if it hits 32 to 33 Celsius in the summer for the air most of your lakes are only going to be like 23 to 24, maybe 25 if you’re lucky.  Your body temperature is 37.  Once you hit 25 degree water you start cooling down right away and if there’s enough of a difference you’re going to have cold shock when you hit that, you’re going to gasp and if you’re not prepared for that or you’re not wearing something that’s going to make you float like a life jacket instead of breathing air you’re sucking back water and you’re now in a drowning situation because you cannot breathe properly.”

The Society notes one third of the drownings in Manitoba occur between the cold months of October to April.