With the first long weekend of the summer upon us, boating season has officially begun in the province.
And with that, boater/water safety comes to mind.
The Comox Valley Regional District is doing its part, with a life-jacket safety course Friday at the Aquatic Centre.
Another gentle reminder of the dangers of the open water can only do good.
According to the BC Coroners Service , boating incidents are the number-one cause of drowning deaths in the province – 22.5 per cent between the years 2008-2015; it increases to a full 25 per cent when rafting and tubing are added to the mix – two more popular Vancouver Island pastimes.
Close to home we have had our share of drowning tragedies in recent history, some of which could have been prevented with adherence to the golden rule of the water: always wear a life-jacket or personal flotation device.
Yes, there is a difference. Life-jackets offer a higher level of protection. PFDs are designed to keep a person afloat but are not designed to turn an unconscious person face up in the water. Make sure to choose one that suits the type of boating activities you will be doing.
(For more information on lifejackets/PFDs, go visit the Canadian Red Cross website.)
And if life-jackets/PFDs are the golden rule, leaving alcohol and/or drugs out of the equation comes a close second.
More than 40 per cent of all drowning deaths in BC between 2008-2015 involved alcohol and/or drugs.
This isn’t altogether surprising. Very few people ever credit wise decisions made with alcohol consumed.
But again, it must be said.
It’s not acceptable - socially, or legally - to consume alcohol while driving down the highway; why, then, do so many think it’s acceptable behaviour to have a beer in one hand while steering a boat with the other?
Statistically speaking, it’s inevitable that there will be articles written in this publication, about a tragedy on the water at some time this year.
Please, pay heed to these words. If they save one life, they were worth writing.
-Terry Farrell