REGINA — With more than 100,000 bodies of water across the province, Saskatchewan RCMP want everyone to be prepared if they find themselves in a sinking or submerged vehicle.
“Drivers and passengers are at significant risk when a vehicle enters the water. Water can pour in through windows and doors, causing entrapment, and the situation can quickly become life-threatening,” says Cpl. Jamie Diemert, Saskatchewan RCMP Underwater Recovery Team (URT) co-ordinator.
“Knowing and practising an escape plan with your family can prepare you for this kind of emergency.”
Saskatchewan RCMP’s URT urges drivers not to panic and to practice these life-saving tips for exiting a sinking vehicle:
S – Seatbelts off
W – Windows open
O – Out immediately
C – Children first
The life-saving acronym SWOC was named by Dr. Gordon Giesbrecht, a leading cold water and drowning physiologist and professor emeritus from the University of Manitoba.
Saskatchewan RCMP URT team members took part in vehicle immersion training informed by Dr. Giesbrecht earlier this summer.
“No one ever plans for an accident, but we know they happen. Our police divers have responded to calls with vehicles in dugouts, sloughs, rivers and even lakes,” says Cpl. Diemert.
Since May 2025, Saskatchewan RCMP’s URT has responded to three calls involving submerged vehicles. Thankfully, no drownings resulted.
Make sure you know what to do if you’re in a vehicle that suddenly becomes submerged in water by remembering SWOC, the team advises.
