If you’re bringing your young children into the water, make sure they’re within arm’s reach.

Kevin Tordiffe, from the Lifesaving Society of Manitoba, spoke to Arctic Radio News following the drowning of a four-year-old in Gods River and said that having your children close could save their life.

He said that if they lose their footing, having them within arm’s reach could allow you to grab them which could potentially save their life.

The four-year-old boy who lost his life was swimming with other children last week when he began struggling and went under the water. His body was found by the RCMP the next day.

Tordiffe also spoke about the Northern Water Smart Program which the Lifesaving Society has run for more than a decade, which sends lifeguards and instructors to remote northern communities here in Manitoba to help teach water survival skills.