The Heritage Day long weekend is coming up and Calgary police are reminding people to take precautions and act responsibly on the city's waterways.
Calgary police have handed out 640 warnings to river users so far this year and say offenders were singled out for either not wearing life-jackets or because they had alcohol in their boats.
The marine unit has also helped out in eight incidents where rafters ran into trouble and fire crews have responded to 24 water rescues so far this year.
Officials say they have educated hundreds of rafters about river safety and say the statistics highlight the need for recreation users to follow the rules.
“Our biggest concern is that someone is going to be seriously injured, or killed, as a result of an unfortunate accident combined with alcohol impairment and improper use of a life jacket,” said Inspector Tom Hanson, Calgary Police Service District 1. “People’s lives can be forever changed in the blink of an eye.”
“We’ve found that some people don’t realize they need to wear a life jacket every time they are boating or rafting,” said Calgary Fire Department Chief Steve Dongworth. “There are areas of our rivers, particularly the Elbow River, which are shallow, and you may have perfect weather conditions, however, things can change so quickly on the water.”
“During this August long weekend, our bylaw officers will be patrolling river and park areas to ensure everyone has an opportunity to enjoy our parks in a safe and respectful manner,” says Inspector Sue Wall, Calgary Animal & Bylaw Services.
Rafters and boaters on the Elbow and Bow rivers are being asked to follow responsible boating practices this weekend.
Rafters practicing unsafe or disrespectful behaviours could be fined as follows:
- Failing to wear a life-jacket or personal flotation device – mandatory court appearance
- Consuming liquor in public - $115 fine
- Littering on, into or under water - $115 fine
- Littering in a park - $500 fine
- Littering from a vehicle - $750 fine
- Disposing of burning litter - $1,000 fine
- Urinating or defecating in public - $300 fine
According to the Canadian Red Cross, about 25 percent of all boating fatalities in Canada happen when a life jacket is present on board but not worn.
