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Ensuring water safety for all

Below is an open letter from Inspector Mark E. Andrews on the importance of ensuring water safety for all.
Below is an open letter from Inspector Mark E. Andrews on the importance of ensuring water safety for all.

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August 16,2011
Letter to the Editor:

I would like to take this opportunity to provide clarity to readers regarding the efforts of the OPP to prevent unnecessary deaths on our waterways. The OPP recognizes that education, enforcement and public partnerships are all part of any successful public safety strategy. There is no one single cause that leads to drowning but there are common contributors. Basic safety practices such as learning to swim at an early age; wearing a lifejacket or a PFD while on a vessel; adult supervision of children while swimming; and not drinking and boating can make the difference between surviving, or not.

The PFD left behind is not much use, especially in cold water. The OPP strongly encourage all people to take personal responsibility for ensuring water safety for themselves and their children. Law enforcement efforts and individual awareness regarding marine safety issues will reduce these preventable deaths. Whether in a large motorized vessel, a small paddleboat, canoe or kayak, the law applies and we are determined to reduce the number of people who are drowning. So far this year, 15 persons have died in marine vessel incidents in OPP patrolled waters. This does not include the number of persons who have drowned simply swimming.

The marine incidents occurred for the most part on clear sunny days-75%, calm waters-58%, no personal floatation devices worn by victim - 87%, involved alcohol -25%, the person has fallen over board or capsized their vessel - 58% and 94 % of the casualties have been male.

This summer while patrolling our waterways in Northeastern Ontario, OPP officers have checked over 2,600 vessels. Of those 2,600 we have, tested 24 persons for impaired boating and laid 4 Criminal Code charges. We have laid over 100 Liquor License Act charges and 82 Small Vessel Regulations charges. We have lost 4 persons to drowning, 75% involving alcohol.

This year at our awards celebrations, we are honouring members of the public that have risked their own lives trying to save the lives of drowning victims and in some cases failing to do so. Brave souls, who without thought of their own safety, enter the water to save a life. When a person drowns, the OPP search with all available resources until the body is located. Sometimes, that search spans months and even years. We do not stop searching, it is tiring, and sometimes hazardous work involving many officers, volunteers and resources.

When we find a person on the waterway in a vessel who is impaired, has no life jacket or PFD and is consuming alcohol, we will enforce the statutes. The person is a danger to themselves and everyone on the waterway. Our goal is to save lives and we will continue to make that our priority. I can think of no other thing, that would be better to do.

Mark E. Andrews
Inspector #6350
Traffic and Marine Unit
North East Region
Ontario Provincial Police

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