TAXI Vancouver Highlights Why Towels Left behind Are a Timely Reminder of Lives Lost

A day on, or near, water is something we all look forward to, especially on hot, long weekends. But for around 400 Canadians a year, that day tragically is their last day. Drownings happen too often, can happen to anyone, and are preventable. 

Following this past August long weekend, the Lifesaving Society of B.C. & Yukon drew attention to the issue using something we all associate with a fun trip to the beach – beach towels. 

On July 27th, 2023, four hundred towels were laid out on the beach at Buntzen Lake, near Vancouver, B.C., Canada. The poignant display represents the four hundred Canadians that never returned from the water last year. The installation was conceived and executed by TAXI’s Vancouver team. 

Lenea Grace, executive director of the Lifesaving Society B.C. & Yukon commented, “Summer is the peak period for drownings across Canada, and we often see a spike around holiday weekends. We want to get ahead of the problem, remind people of the dangers and motivate them to visit lifesaving.bc.ca/watersmart to educate themselves on how to stay safe around water. That includes wearing life jackets while boating / canoeing, staying sober on the water, and of course, learning to swim, at any age. Keep your children within arms' reach and keep your eye on friends and family in general - don't get distracted by your phone when your loved ones are on the water." 

Jackie Pearl, TAXI’s managing director added, “Our goal was to reach people where it’s most relevant, and most timely. We know it’s hard for people to feel an emotional connection to statistics. Visualising the 400 deaths with something we all take to the beach or lake humanises that number and makes people stop and think. We want everyone to return from the water this long weekend.” 

BC-specific drowning statistics:

• BC accounted for 86 of the drowning deaths last year. 

• The Fraser River had the most drowning deaths of any river/creek, followed by the Thompson River and Columbia River. 

• The lakes with the highest number of drownings were Okanagan Lake, Harrison Lake and Shuswap Lake. 

• The most common activities/contexts associated with drowning were boating, swimming and falls into the water. 

• 78% of drowning victims were male. 

• People aged 19- 29 accounted for 21% of deaths, followed by 50–59-year-olds (17%). The sombre event also marked the end of National Drowning Awareness Week. The towels were given out to local charities after the event.