BC reported 101 accidental drowning deaths in 2023, six of those occurred in Northern Health.
That’s according to a report from the Coroners Service.
It examined drowning deaths spanning from January 1st, 2013, to December 31st, 2023.
The report stated individuals aged 19-29 accounted for 20% of deaths followed by those in the 50-59 age bracket (16%).
The Fraser River had the most fatalities of any river or creek with 51 followed by the Thompson River (9) and the Columbia (8).
30% of all accidental drowning deaths over the last decade occurred in the Interior Health region.
Northern Health’s largest number of fatalities for accidental drownings occurred in 2013 with 13 followed by 2020, tallying 11. Our health authority has seen 72 of these deaths in the past decade.
Between 2013 and 2022, alcohol or drugs were determined to be the contributing factor in 39% of drowning deaths.
A full report can be found here.
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