With the warmer weather approaching, more people are gearing up to enjoy the sunshine and many summer-related activities. RCMP warn those, planning to enjoy the cool breeze on a boat ride in Rocky View County’s bodies of water, to head out prepared and aware of boating rules.
“The important things are flotation devices and properly fitted lifejackets,” said Cpl. Shane Fletcher of the Chestermere RCMP.
He said there needs to be enough lifejackets on board for every passenger and warned children shouldn’t be wearing adult-sized life jackets because they can slip off of them easily.
“And alcohol,” he said. “Stay away from it. That’s mainly the thing that has contributed to drownings in our jurisdiction.”
According to statistics from the Lifesaving Society of Canada, nearly 80 per cent of people who died in a boating accident weren’t wearing their lifejacket. Fifty per cent of those had been drinking alcohol.
Fletcher said people who are inadequate swimmers who go out on the water and drink alcohol, and don’t wear a life jacket are in the most danger.
The Chestermere detachment has a boat with trained operators to monitor boating activity on Chestermere Lake. Fletcher said depending on the shift and coverage, they will get on the lake as much as possible, especially during peak times such as weekends and holidays.
He said people need to keep in mind that to operate a personal watercraft they must be 16 years or older, that includes running jet skis on a lake.
“It’s a common thing (to see) but they technically can’t (drive a motorized water craft if they are younger than 16 or have a jet ski on Chestermere Lake),” he added.
When out on the water, be sure to wear a lifejacket, and have a buoyant heaving line, an oar, something to bail out water, a flashlight, flare, whistle and fire extinguisher.
Rocky View County issued a flood warning on May 23 and acting county manager Byron Riemann advised residents to stay off all bodies of water until water levels decrease.
For more information on look under “boating” at www.lifesavingsociety.com
