Boating incidents & Safe, Quiet Lakes

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.

Net Newsledger

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.

I'm glad my kids weren't out there!

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

Summer, land and water play

Lawn tractor momma

'Mishaps'? Try child neglect.

Two children, woman hospitalized in two separate lawnmower mishaps

Woman airlifted to hospital after lawn mower accident - thestar.com

A woman was airlifted to Toronto and her son was taken to hospital after a lawn tractor accident in Stayner last Sunday afternoon.

This is illegal. They often allow him on the jetski alone

We drove past a place where it looked like a 8-yr-old was driving the lawntractor. At another house we spotted a kid who was on the dad's lap driving. Their property has huge ditches. Pretty scary.

We've also seen youngsters driving jetskiis. The is illegal. These are new summer residents. They also spend hours doing figure 8's in across the frontage, annoying all of the residents, especially their new neighbour who lives in the house my cousin built. Citiots, new to the area, there is not the respect for neighbours that there used to be. The etiquette of cottage life is gone, in favour of speed, parties, illegal bonfires all day, fireworks every night.

They do not know the boating laws.

Cottage Country Reflections: Marine laws

Jul 04, 2009

In most provinces there is a 10 kph speed limit within 30 metres (100 feet) from shore. Fine is $125. Maximum fine is $500 or six months imprisonment. (Canada Shipping Act: Boating Restriction Regulations)

Unfortunately, when OPP Marine Division is called, by the time they get there, get a boat in the water, either the boaters scatter, some run into bays, or they stop their irritating, illegal, dangerous behaviour. It is a huge issue for those who prefer canoes to powerful machines, the sounds of the loon calling, to the screaming and fireworks.

This youngster was hanging onto the side of the boat while waterskiing.

This is illegal. The child cannot be in front, apparently driving.

Following too closely, with youngster driving.

It is truly frightening, as summer begins. A review of drownings, an annual report, find that youngsters drownings have doubled to 13 last year in Ontario. Thirteen young lives cut off in a minute.

Children's drowning deaths spike in Ontario
3 days ago

A review of drowning deaths in Ontario last summer found a "disturbing" spike in the number of deaths involving young children. (2010 Drowning Review - Office of the Chief Coroner of Ontario)

A total of 90 drownings last year, and 85% were male. They blame alcohol, inexperienced boaters without lifejackets, people not understanding safety around water.
From 2009 drownings:

"A pair of newly released drowning trend reports, compiling 10 years of research by the Canadian Red Cross, show that boating fatalities make up 39 per cent of drowning victims, and alcohol is a factor in about half of the cases."

Checking for alcohol at the beach

I wonder how much we spend on boating safety, boating regulations, education, and enforcement of safe summer activities?

The Bala Falls drowning garnered a lot of attention, and yet they still swim there.

It is comforting to see the officers patrol at the beach on a summer afternoon. We know what the combination of boating, and/or speed, and alcohol does. There are far too many lakes in cottage country to have them monitored. I think it up to others to call them out. Tough love.
When you see someone acting stupidly, you should speak out. It would have saved someone unfamiliar with the inherent dangers. People unfamiliar with swimming below the Bala Falls or jumping off of the train bridge, for example, watch others swim, and do not realize the undertow. My video has had over 2000 hits from around the world, as families members across the ocean seek to understand the deaths. A-News calls it a 'picturesque' place to visit. But it is deadly.

Summer. Be safe. Be careful. Respect wildlife.

time to to put 'em to bed!

Saying goodbye to my lake, I nearly stepped on a wee leopard frog hopping out of the way. It took two tries to catch it. I had forgotten than you approach slowly, put your hand slowly in front of it and then grab it quickly. My hands were clean and I practice the catch and release program!

It had a little story to tell me. You have to listen carefully.

It was tricky holding it in my right hand, while videotaping with my left, but I did it!