Canada will cut its permanent immigration levels by at least 20 per cent
Canada will lower the number of permanent immigrants it allows into the country by at least 20 per cent from its previous target of 500,000, 愛污传媒 confirmed Wednesday.
On Good Friday 2017, Wyatt Werneth got a call from his wife, who had gone grocery shopping with their daughter: The car鈥檚 broken down. Please rescue us.
Werneth hopped in his vehicle to assist, driving by Patrick Space Force Base near Cape Canaveral, Florida. From the A1A highway, Werneth said you can see the ocean.
What he saw next was a twist of fate that led to a much more urgent kind of rescue.
鈥淚 could see someone waving in traffic as I was going by. 鈥 I pulled in to see what was going on; I had the immediate instinct that something was happening in the water,鈥 Werneth recalled to CNN Travel.
鈥淲hen I came over the berm, I did not realize what I was getting into. There were multiple people in the water.鈥
And they were in trouble. Very serious trouble. Rip current kind of trouble.
The scene would send chills of dread down anyone鈥檚 spine 鈥 but at least Werneth was prepared. He is an experienced lifeguard instructor and had water rescue equipment with him.
But with at least five people struggling in a vicious Atlantic rip current, how would he possibly save them all?
Rip currents could be a major hazard along much of the U.S. Gulf Coast this weekend because of Hurricane Beryl. And with temperatures so high, the desire to take a dip in the water will be strong.
Be cautious, check local conditions and see below for more details about what to do if you鈥檙e caught in one.
Whether it鈥檚 from these potentially dangerous currents, seemingly placid lakes or swimming pools, the drowning statistics from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are shocking.
In the CDC鈥檚 most recently updated numbers, more than 4,000 fatal unintentional drownings happen every year in the United States (including boating incidents). That is an average of 11 drowning deaths per day. July tends to be the peak month for deaths.
From 2018 to 2021, the states with the most drowning deaths per 100,000 people were the following:
Your odds of drowning are much, much higher than being attacked by a shark or an alligator.
World drowning statistics are even more shocking. There are an estimated 236,000 annual drowning deaths worldwide, according to the UN鈥檚 World Health Organization. That comes out to an average of 647 people per day.
And then there are the even more numerous nonfatal drownings. The CDC says people who survive a drowning incident have a range of outcomes: 鈥淔rom no injuries to very serious injuries or permanent disability.鈥
The tragedy is many of these deaths and injuries are preventable, experts say. What can you do to enjoy the water 鈥 be it ocean, river, lake or swimming pool 鈥 safely and not join the ranks of drowning deaths? Turns out, a lot.
Knowing who is likely to drown is critical. At-risk groups need the most attention. In the United States, those include the following:
The CDC emphasizes the importance of learning basic water safety skills, saying formal lessons can reduce the risk of drowning.
However, 鈥渃hildren who have had swimming lessons still need close and constant supervision when in or around water,鈥 the agency notes. Don鈥檛 get distracted by TV, books or the phone when watching children in the water.
If you鈥檙e drinking alcoholic beverages, stay out of the water and don鈥檛 go boating. Impaired judgment and slow reactions can lead to tragedy.
People in boats and weaker swimmers should wear life jackets, especially in open water.
And keep an eye on the weather. Exit if there鈥檚 a thunderstorm or heavy rains.
Understand the waters you鈥檙e about to enter. Different bodies of water carry different types of dangers:
Rip currents flow away from shore. They often form at breaks in sandbars and close to piers and rock groins.
Look for signs of a rip current before entering, says the United States Lifesaving Association. That can be 鈥渁 narrow gap of darker, seemingly calmer water between areas of breaking waves and whitewater,鈥 a difference in water color or 鈥渁 line of foam, seaweed or debris moving seaward.鈥
Here鈥檚 what to do you鈥檙e caught in one:
Stay calm. Rip currents don鈥檛 pull you underwater but do sweep you farther from shore.
Crowds flock to the sea and sand of South Beach in Miami. Florida is No. 5 in drowning deaths per 100,000 people in the United States. It's important to understand how to enjoy open water safely. (lazyllama / Adobe Stock)
The National Weather Service warns swimmers to watch out for 鈥渟horebreak鈥 waves. They crash directly onto the sand and can batter and disorient swimmers. 鈥淲hen in doubt, don鈥檛 go out,鈥 said Wyatt Werneth, who is also the public service spokesperson for the American Lifeguard Association.
Swim Guide advises people to swim in the hour before or the hour after low tide or high tide when waters are generally calmer. (But conditions can vary beach to beach).
Tubing and other activities are popular in rivers. But swift currents and obstacles below the surface or debris can be hazardous.
Werneth said to research the river before you enter.
The placid waters of lakes and ponds can lull waders and swimmers into a false sense of security. Sharp, sudden dropoffs and debris under the water can startle or entangle people, Werneth said, leading to panic and drowning. He said go in with a swim buddy.
Dive only in designated areas. The USLA says enter unknown waters feet first to avoid striking your head. Swimmers shouldn鈥檛 stray into areas where personal watercraft and boats are speeding by.
The National Drowing Prevention Alliance has this advice for pool owners: 鈥渇our-sided fencing with self-closing self-latching gates, door and window alarms, and safety covers can help make sure kids don鈥檛 get to the water unsupervised.鈥
And even if your children know how to swim, adults should still maintain a careful watch. Keep flotation devices on hand.
The National Park Service鈥檚 鈥淥peration Dry Water鈥 reminds people that all vessels must carry personal flotation devices.
Werneth, who is also a spokesman for the American Lifeguard Association, has warned of an ongoing lifeguard shortage in the United States for years now. A June 15, 2024, news release from the ALA called the shortage in Florida 鈥渄isturbing.鈥
Werneth said the group鈥檚 message has always been 鈥渟wim in front of a lifeguard.鈥 But he said the reality of the shortage is prompting a new one: 鈥淟earn to swim, America.鈥
鈥淲e want people to self-lifeguard. Assign someone in your family to be a water watcher. Have that person learn CPR.鈥
And if someone can鈥檛 swim and still wants to wade, 鈥減ut a life jacket on them. That鈥檚 going to make a difference.鈥
Werneth said that if you plan on going to a destination that features water activities, go online first to find out the lifeguard situation and adapt your plans as needed. Some pools, lakes and beaches might not even be open.
Back in 2017 at that Florida beach, Werneth鈥檚 task was daunting. But he had a cool head, decades of experience 鈥 and fortunately, a second experienced helper on hand whom he later learned was from the Air Force.
鈥淗e was single-handedly pulling people out before I even got there. 鈥 That Air Force guy was kind of coming back with one. I saw that he had one that was kind of going unconscious, and I immediately jumped in the water, swam out, grabbed the unconscious person and got him out.鈥
Werneth guesses that they were about 50 yards out, and he recalls they ended up pulling five male teens out of the water. They weren鈥檛 even in swimming attire, Werneth said, leading him to think it was a spur-of-the-moment decision to enter the ocean.
Would the group have died without the rescue, which left him exhausted?
鈥淚 assure you they all would have. 鈥 These people were going in to help each other, and it caused a chain reaction. Do not go into the water to assist anyone without a flotation device,鈥 he said.
鈥淚t was perfect timing that I showed up and happened to be there to help those guys.鈥 All because the family car had broken down. But not everyone can rely on luck.
In the end, you need 鈥渨ater confidence,鈥 gained by experience and respect for the water.
鈥淭he fear is what generates the panic which generates the drowning.鈥
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