From July 21-27 the Lifesaving Society of Manitoba is promoting safety in and around water for National Drowning Prevention Week.

Water Smart and Safety Management Coordinator, Dr. Christopher Love, says "drowning is a large concern for us here in Canada. We have annually 450 people who die due to drowning every year, and an untold number of people who are injured."

Love says that cottage and beach season is an important time to be reminding people of safety first, so when they get home at the end of the day they can look back on a fun time with friends and family, and not tragedy.

One way to stay safe is keeping kids within arms reach, especially "the very small children six and under because they're very curious about water, and they don't have the same endurance."

He says active supervision with kids who no longer need to be right beside you is also essential.

"There needs to be an adult 'water watcher' who is there and paying attention, and their sole responsibility is watching the kids, taking care of the kids . . . or doing anything else other than providing that safety supervision."

Despite prevention, accidents can happen and Love stresses that you need to think of your own safety before you try and help someone.

"They're going to grab anything that comes close to them, and so if you jump in the water to try to save them and don't have rescue training, they're potentially going to grab you and make you sink as well."

He says the best first step when you see someone drowning is to call for help or call 911 and look for something that floats which you can throw out to them. This could be a lifejacket, ring buoy, or even the lid or a cooler.

"Once they're breathing they're going to become a lot more rational, they're going to calm down . . . Then I can coach them. 'Lie on your back, kick your feet,' or if they're still too scared to do that, 'Just keep holding, just keep floating. We've got help on the way, they're going to be here very soon.'"

Your voice is one of the most powerful tools when rescuing someone in a drowning situation.

Love does remind people that preparation is the best way to prevention which means wearing a lifejacket, knowing your limits, and keeping on eye on people with you when in and around water.