leave home as they were dressed by their parents: with snowsuits, or rain coats, depending upon the season, and a great lunch. By first recess, they'd be out and about sans hats, mitts, snowpants playing catch or soccer. They'd trade lunches and exchange a fine sandwich for a bag of chips.I find it really hard watching these guys on the lake, especially with the recent drownings in our region. I always feel like I should be doing yard duty! I am sure that they left the dock with life jackets, just didn't choose to wear them.
The fishermen, below, likely left the dock with gear and PFDs. (I am sure the parents would enforce or at least facilitate this!) But these guys skimmed home in the dark, after
taking off for a bay for a few hours. Lovely, peaceful activity. But...most drownings are men fishing (18%), compared to the other reasons: swimming in dangerous water, non-swimmers drowning, unsafe operation, too much water traffic.For more info: click here=> Canadian Marine Laws. Most people around wear them in canoes. Many fishermen do not.
All on board must have a life jacket available. There is a $250 fine for not having them. But just having them on-board does not prevent drowning. Kids should wear them all the time, and most do in my experience. I think that our mandatory seatbelt laws, as well as the Ontario law that requires parents to have infant car seats upon discharge of newborns, has created a culture of safety.
Standing up in the boat to cast. No lights. No PFDs in sight in their return trip. Don't they know that someone out there loves them?!
6 comments:
I think a lot of it is machismo, unfortunately. I grew up in a carefree time on the lake but safety was always #1!
Here at the canyon accidents and death are statistically men between 18 and 30. Guess they have no brains at that time of life.
Please remember, as much as you care, it's really not your problem if some people want to be idots.
Hang in there, the summer season must be almost over.
I agree with Gaelyn that it's really NOT your problem...but hey! Haven't we had an awful lot of senseless accidents this year?
I know it is not my problem, I am simply reflecting what I see!
That said, currently there is a move of to legislate PFDs for every one in boats.
Just seems a waste of politician's time to me. We need to get them on the kids, though, and that seems to be happening.
But I could be wrong.
I looked at your pictures of the guys on the boat. They are not wearing life jackets, why not? Isn’t it the law where you live? Here in Georgia the law is that you have to wear a life jacket if you go in a boat, anyone in any kind of a boat or you get a big fine. It is enforced. There have been less drowning since this law was passed. Actually I saw a couple of kids trying to get in a boat without them and people on the shore reporting them on their cell phones, and it was not long before they were out of the boat!
Good question, Vagabonde, I revised the post to provide the info! There is a call for it by the OPP, and others, but it is the young men, fishing, or swimming in unsafe locations that seem to make up the stats for most drownings (5/8 in the last month).
You cannot legislate good sense, either. The other issue, we have many cottages and lakes that do not have road access. It is 45 min. for our OPP to arrive, and by the time they arrive, the boat is gone!
I think that enforcement is the difficult issue. Good comment, thanks.
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