Police remind boaters about rules and regulations ahead of long weekend
With the May long weekend finally here, the Ontario Provincial Police and boating safety advocates are reminding boaters to follow safety rules, especially with so many other boaters out there.
Safe Boating Awareness Week also begins Saturday, hammering home the safety message.
Jill Faulkner, commander of the North Bay Power and Sail Squadron, said preparation is key.
"They need to be sure themselves and their boat is prepared,” Faulkner said. “They need to be cold water safe and we encourage everyone to take a boating course."
Five people died in boat incidents in the region last year, while nine people perished the previous year.
"All of our fatalities didn't involve PFDs or life-jackets and many of them are linked to alcohol or drug use," said OPP Staff Sgt. Tyler Croxall.
Across the province, 27 people died on OPP patrolled lakes or rivers last year. In all, 13 deaths involved human-powered boats such as canoes, kayaks and paddleboards. In contrast, 32 people were killed in 2020.
Statistics show more than 80 per cent of Canadians who drown while boating were not wearing life-jackets or were wearing them improperly.
"As soon as you're immersed in water, it doesn't matter how warm it is, it is still cooler than your body temperature," Faulkner said.
"It doesn't take long before you lose the ability to swim any distance."
Boaters should have what’s called the ‘Pleasure Craft Operator Card’ or some other proof of competency.
Faulkner recommends going through a safety list before you leave: ensure you are knowledgeable about your upcoming trip; that the boat is properly equipped with the required safety equipment; the weather is suitable for the voyage; you have enough fuel; and, you have a trip plan.
Throughout Safe Boating Awareness Week, provincial police are warning boaters they will be on lakes and waterways ensuring people are following safety regulations while ensuring no one is impaired while operating a boat.
Police can conduct random boat stops to check sobriety and ensure boaters have proper safety equipment.
"The No. 1 cause of incidents is vessels capsizing," said OPP acting Insp. Ray St. Pierre. "Smaller vessels are capsizing and there's also collisions."
Nearly 40 per cent of people who died while boating last year were not operating the boat. Either they were passengers, swimmers or they were being towed behind the boat.
"We want everyone to be safe on our waterways," said St. Pierre.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING NEWS Honda to get up to $5B in govt help for EV battery, assembly plants
Honda is set to build an electric vehicle battery plant next to its Alliston, Ont., assembly plant, which it is retooling to produce fully electric vehicles, all part of a $15-billion project that is expected to include up to $5 billion in public money.
BREAKING New York appeals court overturns Harvey Weinstein's 2020 rape conviction from landmark #MeToo trial
New York’s highest court on Thursday overturned Harvey Weinstein’s 2020 rape conviction, finding the judge at the landmark #MeToo trial prejudiced the ex-movie mogul with improper rulings, including a decision to let women testify about allegations that weren’t part of the case.
Residents of northern Alberta First Nation told to shelter in place
Residents of John D'Or Prairie, a community on the Little Red River Cree Nation in northern Alberta, were told to take shelter Thursday morning during a police operation.
Monthly earnings rise, payroll employment falls: jobs report
The number of vacant jobs in Canada increased in February, while monthly payroll employment decreased in food services, manufacturing, and retail trade, among other sectors.
Doctors say capital gains tax changes will jeopardize their retirement. Is that true?
The Canadian Medical Association asserts the Liberals' proposed changes to capital gains taxation will put doctors' retirement savings in jeopardy, but some financial experts insist incorporated professionals are not as doomed as they say they are.
Secret $70M Lotto Max winners break their silence
During a special winner celebration near their hometown, Doug and Enid shared the story of how they discovered they were holding a Lotto Max ticket worth $70 million and how they kept this huge secret for so long.
Remains from a mother-daughter cold case were found nearly 24 years later, after a deathbed confession from the suspect
A West Virginia father is getting some sense of closure after authorities found the remains of his young daughter and her mother following a deathbed confession from the man believed to have fatally shot them nearly two decades ago.
Something in the water? Canadian family latest to spot elusive 'Loch Ness Monster'
For centuries, people have wondered what, if anything, might be lurking beneath the surface of Loch Ness in Scotland. When Canadian couple Parry Malm and Shannon Wiseman visited the Scottish highlands earlier this month with their two children, they didn’t expect to become part of the mystery.
Metro Vancouver mayors call for serial killer Robert Pickton to be denied parole
A dozen mayors from around Metro Vancouver say federal Attorney General and Justice Minister Arif Virani should deny parole for notorious B.C. serial killer Robert Pickton, and reassess the parole and sentencing system for 'prolific offenders and mass murderers.'