In the wake of several drownings in B.C., including one Monday in Okanagan Lake, the biggest issue in boating safety is life-jackets, according to Kelowna police. "Nobody plans to drown when they get on a boat. They‘re not thinking of that," said Const. Steve Holmes. "However, that doesn‘t mean that that should not be at least planned for by having the life-jackets easily available or, better yet, wearing them because of unforeseen circumstances." Patrols on the water are finding safety awareness among boaters pretty good, although some don‘t have the right safety equipment on board, like a bailing bucket, or enough life-jackets. "In most cases, everybody has life-jackets on board. Some may not have the exact number for the number of people on board," Holmes said. "That is an important consideration." According to the Canadian Power and Sail Squadron (CPS), victims in 85 per cent of boating fatalities were not wearing life-jackets. In general, safety has improved, according to Clark Barry, district training officer with the CPS. "Okanagan Lake is a very popular and busy boating lake," he said. "Awareness is continuing to increase . . . but the boaters on Okanagan Lake have a way to go yet." Part of the increase in awareness is because the switch to a mandatory pleasure craft operator‘s card has helped bring exposure to safety issues on boats. "This program has definitely raised the knowledge level of boating operators. However, it has its shortcomings," Barry said. "Some of these providers are authorized to provide online examinations and the verification process has been lacking, which has led to a lot of cheating." Speed hasn‘t been the biggest issue, but it can be a problem when combined with proximity to other vessels and the shoreline. "It doesn‘t seem to be a prevalent issue, (but) it does happen on occasion," Holmes said. "Sometimes it‘s coupled with alcohol consumption and people just trying to do silly things." Unsafe or erratic boating can be punished with a $575 fine. Other than that, drinking remains an issue. "People still believe that if they‘re on a boat that they can drink and there won‘t be any issues. That‘s simply not the case," Holmes said. Drunk-driving laws apply on boats as well as land vehicles. For pleasure craft, there are provisions against open liquor, but Holmes said that‘s used largely when people are drawing attention to themselves. Holmes said it‘s important to be cautious with liquor and boats. "Don‘t view your boat as a floating party scene, because when people start to get impaired, it doesn‘t matter whether you‘re walking, boating, driving or whatever," he said. "Many functions of your body become impaired . . . these circumstances that nobody plans for can happen and tragedy can occur." Holmes also stressed the importance of telling someone where you‘re going before you leave and having a plan for disaster, including knowing where life-jackets are located. "We‘re not asking a lot of people here, just utilizing common sense and preparedness," he said. Top of Page
