A pair of paddleboarders were rescued from Okanagan Lake near the William R. Bennett Bridge during a heavy windstorm Saturday, July 26, an incident that has prompted police to offer reminders about safety on the water.
Officers from Kelowna RCMP and the West Coast Marine Services responded to a call from the two paddlers stranded near the bridge in the early afternoon. Upon arrival, police found them clinging to a yellow buoy on the north side of the bridge. They were safely rescued and brought to shore, police said in a press release Thursday, Aug. 7.
香蕉视频直播淲e were fortunate that one of the paddleboarders was able to call 911 and that neither sustained injury, despite not being equipped with any safety gear, including lifejackets," said Cpl. Michael Gauthier with the Community Safety Unit. 香蕉视频直播淭he situation could have ended in tragedy.香蕉视频直播�
Kelowna RCMP has upped its enforcement efforts on Okanagan Lake this summer and has put its West Coast Marine Services to good use, including the completion of a four-day operation at the end of July.
The police detachment highlighted the following Transport Canada safety requirements for paddleboarders, saying requirements for other human-powered watercraft may slightly vary:
香蕉视频直播� One life jacket for each person on board,
香蕉视频直播� One buoyant heaving line at least 15m (49香蕉视频直播�3香蕉视频直播�) long,
香蕉视频直播� One sound-signalling device or appliance (whistle),
香蕉视频直播� One watertight flashlight (if the vessel is used after sunset or before sunrise or in periods of restricted visibility),
香蕉视频直播� *If everyone on board is wearing a life jacket or a PFD of appropriate size, you are only required to carry the sound signalling device and watertight flashlight (if the vessel is used after sunset or before sunrise or in periods of restricted visibility).
香蕉视频直播淥f the hundreds of paddleboarders we香蕉视频直播檝e stopped this summer, only about 10 per cent are either wearing a life jacket or have them on board, and even less than that have a whistle in case of an emergency,香蕉视频直播� said Gauthier. 香蕉视频直播淲eather conditions on the lake can shift rapidly, turning a peaceful paddle into a sudden scramble for safety香蕉视频直播攐r, in more serious cases, a rescue operation or subject to fines.香蕉视频直播�
More information regarding safety on the water can be found online at .
