Jet Ski operator helps save drowning man in Kempenfelt Bay

A Barrie jet ski operator put her water safety training to the test this week as she helped to rescue a drowning man in Kempenfelt Bay.

Tess Smith started her summer job at Barrie Watersports earlier this month, and her lifesaving abilities were put into action on Thursday.

"I was coming to get our guests, and my colleagues just started saying, go, go, go," Smith told CTV News. "So I took off full speed and came around the corner, and there was a man frantically in the water screaming for help."

The man in his 20s fell into the water in an area unoccupied by lifeguards while trying to retrieve an item from the bay.

• Download the CTV News app to get local alerts on your device (opens in a new tab)
•  Get the latest local updates sent to your email inbox

Smith said crowds were trying to help him but could not.

Her colleagues called upon her for help after years of water safety and first-aid training.

"I was kind of freaking out a bit because I wasn't too sure, like, what the situation was. I had no idea I was going into it," she said. "But I was able to retrieve him and bring him back to safety. Things can change so quickly. Just being aware of your surroundings and, like, the situations you put yourself in can help."

Smith's rescue comes as non-fatal drownings continue to impact Ontarians, particularly children at a disproportionate rate.

"Non-fatal drowning can lead to life-long disability," said Stephanie Bakalar with Lifesaving Society Ontario. "About 2500 children were hospitalized from 2012 to 2021 for non-fatal drownings. And this is a significant burden."

Bakalar's organization will launch its annual campaign next week, Drowning Prevention Week, to educate the public about water safety.

"Most fatal drownings are actually happening in open water," she said. "The most common place for these non-fatal drownings are pools."

To keep kids and yourself safe, the Lifesaving Society recommends learning to swim, swimming in lifeguard-supervised settings and ensuring you can meet the Swim to Survive standard (roll into deep water, tread water for 1 minute, swim 50 metres). The organization also recommends wearing lifejackets while boating and taking Lifesaving Society courses to learn how to help yourself and others.

Drowning Prevention Week runs from July 21 to July 27.