These incidents are so preventable. Education, awareness and respect for humanity. I suppose I 'preach to the choir' Neighbourly Cottage Visitors -Dos of cottage life/boating, yet the message must get out there. We must educate our 'adult' children.One cannot help but think that these are unnecessary and a terrible drain on emergency crews time and energy, as well as taxpayers dollars. These watercraft are going too quickly, and there is no need for this kind of speed, which kills.
Of course, while the incidents do not always involve death, they do involve injuries and fines.
Jet-Ski and Sea-Doo collide in Georgian Bay
www.muskokaregion.com/-May 25, 2016
GEORGIAN BAY – A Jet-Ski and a Sea-Doo collided on the long weekend and it resulted in charges for both operators.
Boating deaths in Ontario up compared to 2015
Police urge safety on Ontario waterways amid increase in boating deaths. (Is it any wonder?)
- There have been 8 separate incidents so far in 2016.
- By this point in 2015, there were only 2 incidents.
- Ages: 7 out of 8 victims were ages 21 - 28.
- None were wearing a flotation device.
- Alcohol was involved in 5/6 incidents.
- Most of these incidents involved canoes or kayaks.
- Two incidents involved an overloaded outboard boat that swamped.
- One incident: a PWC in which the operator fell off.
The child in red/pink on the boat, was on the gunnel beside the kids with the life jacket, just before I snapped this photo.
It's illegal for the child to drive a personal watercraft (PWC), and against marine laws to have them sitting in front.
It's illegal for the child to drive a personal watercraft (PWC), and against marine laws to have them sitting in front.
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| I'm glad my kids weren't out there! |
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| These were new owners of a cottage. Intent on using the lake as a Nascar track. He's too young to drive, at the time he was often on the jetski alone. I phoned the OPP marine division, they made a visit, and they were given fines. |
SAFE QUIET LAKES AND OPP LAUNCH AWARENESS CAMPAIGN TO ENCOURAGE SAFE BOATING AND REDUCE EXCESSIVE NOISE ON THE MUSKOKA LAKES
Annual Safe Quiet Lakes campaign gets underway on Victoria Day weekend May 20, 2016 – Regional advocacy group Safe Quiet Lakes is launching its annual awareness and safety campaign in cooperation and with support from the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP).
In addition to critical reminders about respect, safety and the risks on the water, the campaign is also highlighting the growing issue of excessive noise created by some powerboats, including those that boaters can choose to operate with their muffler system disengaged.
This guy drove around doing donuts until the kid in the back fell off.
Then there is the amount of traffic on a small lake, as well as the speed of the machines.
Do you know who has the right-of-way?
Be water smart and check out @csbc_bt_tips for more safe boating information https://t.co/2655xtWcCH— OPP East (@OPP_ER) May 25, 2016
What you need to know about children’s lifejackets: https://t.co/bwgU8DNK7K #OPP #SafeBoating pic.twitter.com/wgc01637QH— Ontario Prov Police (@OPP_News) May 26, 2016
Check out this OPP Video on PFD & Boating Safety https://t.co/H63A1BDFnJ pic.twitter.com/rA9jxcewqe— Ontario Prov Police (@OPP_News) May 25, 2016
While I am unaware of such goings on, I can imagine that such activity drives sane folk batty.
ReplyDeleteWe have a nearby lake and there always seem to be tragedies there every summer.
ReplyDeleteHari OM
ReplyDeleteI detest 'stink boats' and waterbikes; idiots who don't get that these are just cars on water and hold all the same dangers - and responsibilities...... (you gnash your teeth much better than I do!) YAM xx
That sort of thing is why I would never want to live on a lake.
ReplyDeleteWith all the lakes in Ontario you'd think each boat could have it's own lake. They'd probably still kill themselves.
ReplyDeleteOur lakes are too small in Hawaii to have things like that happen, but we did have something happen a few months ago on the ocean where somebody actually ran over someone who was doing scuba diving. It was tragic.
ReplyDeleteCampaigns won't help. Perhaps heavy fines and even prison would do the job.
ReplyDeleteWe've got only two lakes, and they are called seas: the sea of Galilee (Lake Kinneret) and the Dead Sea. Water traffic and sports have a very low profile in my tiny country. On the other hand, road incidents and accidents are high in numbers and casualties.