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Why is it so many people get into watercraft, but have no respect for the water or turn off their brains?
I spend a lot of time on the water and it doesn’t take long to observe unsafe behaviour on our lakes and waterways.
So, just off the top:
- A cottage renter getting into a kayak with clearly little experience, but not wearing a life-jacket.
- The sun has dropped below the horizon on our cottage lake, visibility is impaired — yet there is a bowrider with its running lights on bombing around the lake with two people on inflatable towables.
- Passing a canoe with a family (two parents and two young children) with the children being the only one with life-jackets on. Imagine the tragedy of the canoe tipping, the parents drown, and the kids are screaming mommy and daddy. Who takes care of them now?
- Although I primarily paddle and sail, I did own a typical cottage power boat. It seems to me in the past people in power boats slowed down when in the vicinity of non-power boats to reduce the impact of the wake on them. I know I did. That courtesy doesn’t seem to exist anymore.
- I went for a paddle one day and many power boats passed me — I didn’t see one person in any of these boats wearing a life-jacket. What is it, power boaters don’t have accidents? Are they immune from drowning?
- And what about our shorelines and littoral zone the damage caused by the wake by boats travelling to fast to close to shore?
- A question I do not know the answer to. Do life insurance companies pay out death benefits when an insured drowns and was not wearing a life-jacket? Is this deemed contributory negligence?
As Canadians we enjoy incredible opportunities to be on the water. Enjoy, but I urge you to use common sense, respect the water and the risks it presents and respect the other users and inhabitants of our lakes and waterways. Way too many pointless and unnecessary drownings.
If people can’t use common sense, then perhaps it's time to enact laws that require all people in watercraft to wear life-jackets. I am sure the “Canadian flag” protesters would love that.
Life-jackets these days are quite comfortable — unlike those uncomfortable orange ones I was required to wear as a kid.
And don’t forget your dog. My wife would kill me if anything happened to our springer while we were out on the water.
Enjoy, but play safe.
Doug Varty
Oro-Medonte
