Editorial: Make it a safe summer
Summer weather is here, and while our minds may be drifting toward the beach, our brains need to be focused on safety.
It's as predictable as the tide. Every summer, the number of preventable accidents and deaths out on the water rise.
While the seasonal increase may seem like a simple yet unfortunate side effect of the masses flocking to our lakes and rivers, it's high time those numbers decrease.
We're smart enough.
We all know the rules and even for those who don't, the information is out there — as close as your nearest smart phone.
Last week was the North American Safe Boating Awareness week, a time devoted to educating the public about the many dangers of the water. But those lessons need to go on all year long.
On average, 125 people die every year in boating deaths, in Canada alone. In recent years, some of those deaths have happened right here in our backyard.
So, we say it again.
Be safe this summer. Encourage your friends and family to be safe.
Inform tourists and visiting friends that dangers lurk in that natural beauty.
And remember the five key safety tips:
Wear a lifejacket.
Don't drink and boat.
Take a safe boating course.
And ensure that you and your vessel are prepared before casting off.
Your life depends on it.