It’s that time of year when Canadians, including residents of Halton Region, are preparing their boats to hit the waterways.
With that comes the police’s annual reminder to prioritize safety.
“We just want to ensure and get our message across that 1. People are wearing life jackets on the water, boats, any type of vessel, kayaking, anything like that. Another thing is to be boat-sober no matter what you’re doing,” says Jason Hurley, a constable with Halton police’s marine unit.
Hurley is also advising aspiring sailors to take a boating course, be prepared because anything can happen, and be aware of cold water despite the warm temperatures this week.
Halton police’s marine unit says around 125 Canadians drown in boating incidents each year and one of the main causes is impaired operation.
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The Canadian Safe Boating Council says more than 80 per cent of Canadians who drowned while boating were not wearing their life jacket or not wearing it properly.
Halton police say they dealt with eight drownings in the region last year.
“Drownings are prevented simply by wearing a life jacket or a personal flotation device…It doesn’t help if it’s thrown away on your boat, paddle board or kayak, you always want to be wearing it,” Hurley says.
Police say their marine unit patrols the area to ensure the safety of all boaters.
“Last week, for example, there was nice weather like this. There was a bit of an offshore wind and we rescued an 18-year-old and a two-year-old on an inflatable paddle board that was approximately 2 km off of an Oakville beach. Once we got to both of them, they had mild hypothermia and were transported to hospital,” Hurley says.
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