After a boat carrying four men capsized in the Red River over the weekend - resulting in one death - Lifesaving Society Manitoba wants to remind people to be water smart this year. 

A 24-year-old man, who police say was operating the boat, has been arrested and charged with multiple offences, including Impaired Driving Causing Death. 

Lifesaving Society Manitoba Operations Manager, Kevin Tordiffe, says the alleged involvement of alcohol aside, those men shouldn't have been on the river in the first place. 

He says high water levels lead to stronger currents, which make Manitoba's rivers very dangerous at this time of year. 

"Rivers are moving faster in the spring than they are later in the summer," Tordiffe said. "The flow is faster than you would expect and people don't realize that. We assume boating on the river is the same as boating on a lake but it's really not." 

Police say they responded to the boat capsizing around 11:15 p.m. Friday night, something Tordiffe says is very concerning. 

"There is no such thing as safe boating at night, on any body of water."

Tordiffe says late spring is always a good time to remind people what they need to do to stay safe. 

"The first thing you should do is back it up before you even get in the water and make sure you have your life jacket and safety equipment," Tordiffe said. "If you're going dock-to-dock, have someone with you and tell people where you're headed."  

"And make sure you're wearing your life jacket because if you fall in and are just holding it, it's really hard to put it on while you're in the water." 

Tordiffe also says spring is a good time to give people tips on what they should do if they fall into the water. He says a person who falls into a lake or river may have 10-15 minutes until their body starts to shut down. 

"Even someone who is a good, strong swimmer would be challenged," he said. "15 minutes is not a lot of time to get yourself out." 

Tordiffe says there are a number of tips for people to increase their chance of survival, should they fall in a river or lake, including: 

  • Wear a life jacket
  • Hang on to your boat if it's still at the surface of the water or try to get back in if you can
  • Huddle together if you're with a group
  • Make your way to shore only when it's safe to do so and only if you think rescue will be prolonged
  • Remove wet clothes, seek shelter and call 9-1-1 immediately upon getting on shore
  • Start a fire and build a shelter if you're in the wilderness

Alcohol is still a major factor in the majority of boating incidents and plays a role a lot of cases of drowning, according to Tordiffe. He says last year in Manitoba, nearly 100 per cent of fatal boating accidents involved alcohol. 

"In over 90 per cent of those instances the people weren't wearing life jackets as well," Tordiffe said. "More people drown each year in Manitoba than die from drinking and driving so it's so important to be vigilant around water." 

Lifesaving Society Manitoba and the Canadian Safe Boating Council will be hosting a news conference to officially kick off their education campaign later this month.