As part of Safe Boating Awareness Week, numerous maritime partners in Windsor-Essex came together on Thursday to stress safety and share tips for boaters ahead of the summer season.
Safe Boating Awareness Week ran from May 18 to May 24 this year.
Boating is an extensive recreational activity in Canada enjoyed by more than 16 million Canadians, and Joint Rescue Co-ordination Centres across the country reported a significant increase in marine SAR incidents a few years ago.
That rate has steadied out since the pandemic, but officials say there continues to be a need to educate existing boaters and new boaters.
Representatives from HMCS Hunter, the RCMP's local Marine Unit, Guardian Marine Rescue, the Canadian Power and Sail Squadron and the Canadian Safe Boating Council shared safety messages and what they want the community to know as we head into a period where many people will be heading out onto the water.
Joe Gatfield with the CSBC says safe boating isn't just a one week program, it's something they want to stress 365 days a year.
To encourage boaters to better prepare for a new season, he says they're focused on five key messages.
"Wear a lifejacket, be sober, be aware of cold water awareness, take a boating course, and be prepared you and your boat. Simply stated that's the message we're trying to get out this week," he said.
Gatfield says the messaging and awareness is all about trying to keep people safe, as unfortunately just last week there was a serious incident on the water in Kingston.
"Where three people are deceased and five are badly injured. It was a fishing vessel and a powered vessel, it's still under investigation. But you know being conscious on the water, being aware of your surroundings, slow down, know the rules of the road, wear a lifejacket and be prepared."
Senior Officer Chris Elliott of HMCS Hunter says these are important messages for people to keep in mind.
"So it's important to get everybody together because we train with them year-round. We share their messaging as a member of the maritime community here in Windsor-Essex to make sure that everybody is taking the opportunity to reflect on and be safe on the water."
Elliott says the Royal Canadian Navy Reserve Unit is mostly focused on training, but mainly so they're able to respond to any local incidents if they have to.
"We're a secondary rescue asset here at HMCS Hunter. When we do get called often times it's of opportunity because we have a crew on the water, they're ready, prepared to respond and sustain an operation to sustain a search and rescue. We respond maybe about one call per year if there's an opportunity where search and rescue is happening on the lake," he said.
While they want people to be aware of all the safety tips, the information around lifejackets is the one officials stressed the most.
Over 80% of Canadians who drown while boating weren't wearing their lifejacket or were not wearing it properly.