Throughout the summer, families flock to the beach or local pools to escape the heat and play in the water. Not many consider that these places of fun could pose a serious risk. Yet according to the Canadian Hospitals Injury Reporting and Prevention Program, kids 9 or younger represented the largest percentage of drownings and near-drownings over the past decade, at 80%.
In 2018, mother-of-four Chezik Tsunoda experienced every parent?s worst nightmare when her preschooler, three-year-old Yori, drowned in a family friend?s pool. Since then, she?s dedicated her life to preventing childhood drowning. We talked to Tsunoda about the devastating loss of her son and how she?s using her nonprofit No More Under and documentary film, Drowning in Silence, to raise awareness about this often-overlooked issue. When tragedies like childhood drownings happen, there?s a tendency to make certain assumptions about the parents. How would you describe your approach to parenting, both before and after Yori passed away"
I was a very cautious parent, and still am a very cautious parent. I had all the babyproofing things, all of the electric plug covers and baby gates. I was always checking in with my paediatrician on the important things to be watching out for with my kids.
What about your philosophy on water safety specifically" Was it important to you that your kids learn to swim"
I had my children in swim lessons and understood that they needed to learn how to swim. In the summe...