SUDBURY -- Four people travelling on two inflatable dinghies on Halfway Lake had to be rescued, police say, when the wind carried them too far from shore.

To make matters worse, police say no one in the boats had lifejackets, personal flotation devices or paddles.

The Nipissing West (Sudbury) detachment of the Ontario Provincial Police received the call at 6:10 p.m. on June 6.

"At approximately 7:55 p.m., with the assistance of Greater Sudbury Police Service marine unit, their officers located and rescued the parties," the OPP said in a news release Tuesday.

"Once on shore, the individuals were assessed by paramedics and found to be in good health."

As a result, a 25-year-old from Sudbury was charged with operating human-powered pleasure craft without personal flotation device or lifejacket for each person on board.

The OPP no longer releases the gender of people they arrest.

With this being Water Safety Week, the OPP would like to remind everyone that many vessels on the water require all the necessary safety equipment on board, the force said in the news release.

"If something goes wrong on the water, you will be much better prepared to deal with it if you have the right equipment on board, if it is in good working order and if everyone can find it and use it," the release said. "Remember that the best protection you can give yourself on the water is to always wear your lifejacket or your (personal flotation devices)."

Required safety equipment includes a 15-m buoyant heaving line, a signaling device, such as a whistle or a horn, a bailing bucket or a manual bilge pump, paddle or an oar, l, flares, a fire extinguisher and a waterproof flashlight.

For certain vessels, such as stand-up paddleboards, paddleboats, personal watercrafts, etc., if you are wearing your lifejacket or PFD, you are only required to carry a sound signaling device and possibly a watertight flashlight, a magnetic compass and navigation lights, depending on the visibility and time of day.

For more information regarding specific vessels, refer to the Safe Boating Guide located on the Transport Canada website.