Boating Safety:
Through awareness, enforcement and public education, the York Regional Police Marine Unit is reminding residents of the importance of staying safe when enjoying any recreational activity near a body of water whether during the summer or winter months. If you make smart, educated choices on safety and adhere to the following safety tips, accidents can be prevented.
- Know the laws and regulations and take a boating safety course
- Ensure your vessel is in top operating condition
- Keep extra fuel on hand
- Wear proper floatation attire
- Don’t boat or fish alone
- Tell someone about your plans and specifically where you are going
- Bring good sunglasses, sunscreen and appropriate clothing
- Paddles, whistles and flares should be part of the kit on your vessel
- Ensure you have a cell phone with a fully charged battery in the event of an emergency
- Drive at moderate speed you may have to stop or turn suddenly to avoid a collision
- Be aware of changing weather conditions and drive with extreme caution and proper lights after dark
- Consider visibility conditions, the fog, mist, rain and darkness, including wind, water conditions, currents and any navigational hazards (rocks and tree stumps)
Finally, be courteous of others using the waterways and obey all boating rules. Be watchful of swimmers and other boaters, and always have a spotter for water-skiers and tube riders.
Ice Safety:
- Know the condition of the ice before you go out and take into consideration the recent changes the weather may have had on the ice
- Wear the appropriate clothing and ensure you wear a certified flotation device
- Be suspicious of gray, dark or porous spots in the ice as these may be soft areas. Ice is generally strongest where it is hard and blue
- White opaque or snow ice is half as strong as blue ice. Opaque ice is formed by wet snow freezing on the ice
- Grey ice is unsafe
- Tell someone your plans, where you will be, with whom and what time you are expected back at shore
- Watch for pressure cracks, open bodies of water and ice flows as these are sure signs ice is not safe and should be avoided
- Call for help. Consider whether you can quickly get help from trained professionals (police, fire fighters or ambulance) or bystanders
- If you get into trouble on ice and you're by yourself resist the immediate urge to climb back out where you fell in as the ice will be weak in this area
- Use the air trapped in your clothing to get into a floating position on your stomach
- Reach forward onto the broken ice without pushing down. Kick your legs to push your torso on the ice.
- When you are back on the ice, crawl on your stomach or roll away from the open area with your arms and legs spread out as far as possible to evenly distribute your body weight. Do not stand up! Look for shore and make sure you are going in the right direction
