no lifejacket worn in 8 of 10 boating fatalities, opp warn; here's how to stay safe
jkotsis@postmedia.com
3 minute read
whether your boat is big or small, or even if you're paddleboarding, lifejackets are mandatory in ontario waters, including when cruising along the detroit river in windsor.
dan janisse
/
windsor star
with paddlers accounting for almost half of boating deaths in ontario over the last five years, the ontario provincial police is urging anyone venturing out on a waterway to follow boating safety rules that include carrying a personal flotation device.
the lifejacket reminder comes after officers with the essex county opp marine unit charged a paddleboarder with being out on the detroit river in lasalle without a personal flotation device.
the 28-year-old windsor man now faces a canada shipping act charge of operating a human-powered pleasure craft without personal flotation device or lifejacket of appropriate size for each person on board.
ontario waters can be deadly
opp report that 56 paddlers were among 131 people who lost their lives in boating incidents on opp-patrolled waterways over the last five years.
between 2020 and 2024, 34 canoeists died in marine incidents, 17 kayakers lost their lives and five people using stand-up paddleboards perished in ontario.
police data also show that eight out of 10 people who die in fatal boating incidents were not wearing a personal floatation device.
common causes of offshore deaths
falling overboard, whether from a motorized or human-propelled vessel, as well as capsized vessels remain the leading causes of opp-investigated boating and paddling deaths year after year, say police.
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“it is virtually impossible to drown if you are floating in the water with a properly fitted lifejacket,” officials said. “the data makes it a compelling case for the value in wearing a lifejacket.
“even if you are rendered unconscious in a paddling/boating incident, a lifejacket will keep your head above water and keep you breathing.”
‘drinking while boating’
the opp say alcohol or drug impairment, hazardous waterways and operator inexperience are among the other contributing factors in marine deaths.
“drinking while boating is just as dangerous as drinking and driving and the very same laws apply,” police officials said.
“if you are caught operating a motorized or non-motorized vessel while impaired, you will also lose your ability to operate your motor vehicle.”
drinking alcohol on boats is only allowed when the boat has sleeping, cooking and washroom facilities and is anchored or docked.
personal flotation devices are life-saving equipment — and required — on area waterways, including pike creek in tecumseh.
trevor wilhelm
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windsor star
inclement weather, including sudden changes in wind which can quickly create high waves, can be hazardous.
“many small pleasure craft are not designed to handle any great amount of winds and waves and can be easily swamped or capsized,” officials said.
“when the forecast is poor, plan to stay ashore.”
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police say death from cold water immersion can happen very quickly.
“when suddenly immersed, the first reaction is a sudden uncontrollable gasp, followed by one to three minutes of hyperventilation, which will lead to the rapid onset of severe hypothermia,” police said.
pack safety equipment
a life jacket is required on a stand-up paddleboard in canada, according to police.
“while leashes are recommended for safety, they cannot be used as a replacement for a lifejacket,” windsor police said in a recent news release.
opp recommend when operating a non-motorized vessel to have such safety equipment onboard as a sound signaling device, flashlight, floating rope and bailing bucket.
watercraft operating restrictions
the vessel operation restriction regulations, which apply to anyone operating a pleasure craft for recreational purposes in canadian waters, also put age restrictions on the operation of motorized vessels propelled by motors greater than a specified horsepower.
only persons 16 and older may operate a personal watercraft without supervision, and a pleasure craft operator card or other proof of competency must be carried onboard.
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