ontario drowning

A beachgoer at a popular beach jumped in the water to help rescue a drowning person in the Ottawa River on June 1.

Shortly after 1:30 p.m., emergency services received a call reporting that a person was drowning at Britannia Beach in Ottawa. The caller told 911 that they believed the person was drowning from exhaustion.

That's when the beachgoer went into the water and helped the swimmer reach a buoy, the Ottawa Fire Services says.

At around 1:45 p.m., the Ottawa Fire Services Water Rescue team arrived and rescued both people. Ottawa Fire Services say they were both brought back to shore safely within a minute.

In a photo posted to Twitter, a team of over a dozen firefighters is seen on the shore of Britannia Beach.

According to data from the Drowning Prevention Research Centre Canada, Ontario had 100 unintentional water-related deaths in 2018. That number was up by seven people from numbers recorded in 2017, which saw 93 unintentional water-related deaths.

Ontario has seen the highest number of water-related deaths in Canada.

From 2012 to 2016, Ontario had an average of 152 water-related deaths. Quebec followed behind with 78 water-related deaths for the same period.

"Drowning can happen in any water, but the most common locations of water-related fatalities vary by age," notes the report. "Young and middle-aged adults most commonly drown in natural bodies of water, such as lakes and rivers. Young children and seniors over 65 are vulnerable groups for drowning in artificial bodies of water, such as bathtubs and pools."