Beach goers watched intently on Monday afternoon, as a man who was struggling in the water was rescued at Harrison lagoon.

A crowd gathered and onlookers stood on the beach, as a Colombian man was pulled from the water at about 4:30 p.m. The near drowning happened at the south side of the beach, and his friends and family told paramedics on scene that he was not using drugs or alcohol while swimming.

The man survived the incident, and was breathing and speaking before being transported away by ambulance. A nurse happened to be at the beach when the potentially fatal accident occurred.

The community of Harrison Hot Springs is still reeling from the death of Surrey teen Devin McClelland-Begon on July 5. It took six days of searching to locate McClelland-Begon, and his death has sparked discussions of what to do with the lagoon to make it safer for visitors.

This just happens to be National Drowning Prevention Week, through the Lifesaving Society.

This week, as throughout the year, they will be promoting water and boat safety, encouraging people to act responsibly around the water and to enhance their swimming skills through lessons. While the major focus of the program is boating safetly, much of their message applies to general water safety.

They say that most drownings occur 10 feet or less from safety and most drownings result from three major contributing factors, which are the inability to swim, the effects of cold water (hypothermia)and alcohol.

"Drowning occurs rapidly and soundlessly, averaging 20 seconds in small children and less than a minute in adults," their website reads.

"To the untrained bystander a drowning person may appear to be waving, clowning around or splashing."

The three best ways to prevent drowning are by learning to swim, always wearing your lifejacket and not consuming alcohol while boating and swimming.

• See related Editorial on page 4.