Sixteen people died this long weekend on Ontario roads and waterways. Ontario Provincial Police are calling it one of the 'deadliest in recent history.'
A total of nine fatalities occurred on OPP-patrolled roads. Six people drowned and one person died in a boating incident on waterways within OPP jurisdiction.
Sergeant Kristine Rae says it is concerning that so many fatalities happened in the water in such a short period of time. Especially worrying, she says, because many of them were preventable. "People are not following the rules when they are on the water. They have life jackets but they are not wearing them or they don’t have the proper safety equipment in their boat," Rae says.
Investigations into the weekend's drownings reveal all victims were men, three of them were youths. The victim of the boating incident was also a man. He was not wearing a personal floatation device at the time.
Mike Dean teaches water safety with a group called BoaterExam.com He says safety starts before getting in the water by being prepared. He says, "If your car breaks down on the side of the road, there is a good chance there will be another car 30 seconds away, but when you are on the water, rescue could be hours away."
He says safety equipment includes: a life jacket, a paddle, a marine horn, a watertight flash light, and a buoyant heaving line.
Dean says everyone on the boat should know the legal requirements and an emergency plan.
