First responders encourage water safety ahead of long weekend
During the August long weekend, the Calgary Police Service (CPS) Marine Unit will be seen alongside members of the Calgary Fire Department (CFD) to help patrol Calgary’s rivers and encourage water safety practices.
Calgarians can expect to see members of the CPS Marine Unit and CFD at various boat launch sites, and on the water, with CFD members conducting regular water patrols and sharing safety information with boaters while on the water.
The CPS Marine Unit will also be sharing key safety information near launch sites and explaining the potential penalties and fines for failing to comply with water safety laws.
If your family is planning to go floating, boating, paddleboarding or kayaking down the Bow and Elbow rivers, or enjoy a community lake this summer, don’t forget that where there’s water, there’s risk.
This means each person is wearing a properly fitted and tightened life-jacket or a Personal Flotation Device (PFD) at all times.
When paddleboarding, wearing an ankle leash on a standup paddleboard on the river is very dangerous as you can get tangled up and pulled under water. Stay safe and leave the leash at home when using standup paddle boards on the river. You can put your contact information on your board in case you fall off and lose your board.
Even experienced boaters can easily run into unexpected trouble, including:
- Quick changes in water flow rate, direction, and currents
- Unexpected weather changes
- Faulty rafts, boats, or PFDs
- Throughout the summer months, there will be ongoing efforts to maintain a high visibility uniform presence at various parks and pathways where rafters, boaters, and floaters start and finish their trips. It’s also required that any water vessel have life-jackets or PFDs worn by all passengers at all times, a sounding device like a whistle, a buoyant heaving line (throw-bag) no less than 15 metres long, and a water bailer.
In an effort to keep Calgary’s waterways family-friendly, it is also worth noting that police will enforce regulations around consuming and/or transporting of alcohol or drugs, which is dangerous and illegal.
The Calgary Police Service would like to remind those looking to have some fun on water this summer to:
- Always make the safety of yourself and others a priority
- Assess the swimming skills of those in your group
- Always wear a life-jacket – check the size and weight restrictions and ensure the life-jacket fits properly, remember to zip up all zippers, click all buckles and pull straps to properly tighten
- Plan ahead: check weather conditions, river flow rates, water quality reports and safety advisories
- Bring the right supplies: a first aid kit, cellphone, bottled water, hats and sunscreen, a whistle or air horn, and a paddle to help you control your vessel
- Never tie watercrafts together on the river
If you or another boater are in danger, or you suspect impaired boating behaviour, call 911 immediately. To learn more about staying safe on the water this summer, visit calgary.ca/watersafety.