InnisfilToday welcomes letters to the editor at [email protected]. Please include your full name, daytime phone number and address (for verification of authorship, not publication). The following letter from Robert Barrratt is in response to our story on the Innisfil family who has helped rescue numerous people from the lake this summer. Barratt recently retired from a civilian position at OPP Headquarters in Orillia and spent a lot of time on local waterways, including open-water swimming and membership at the Champlain Sailing Club on Lake Couchiching.
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In a recent story regarding stranded jet-skiers, nothing was mentioned about life-jackets.
Not once was the question posed, ‘Where are your life-jackets?' This should have been the headline.
I am tired of reading about the cavalier attitude around water and reading about those lost lives and how easily they could have been prevented.
As a past lifeguard and life-long swimmer, I still fear and respect any body of water, especially what I cannot see beneath the surface. Even trapped face down in two inches of water can take your life.
You wouldn’t run into a burning building, why endanger your life at any depth?
More respect for the dangers of water must be realized. If you cannot swim, learn. If you are in a boat, on a jet-ski or on the dock, wear a life-jacket or stay away.
Ask yourself, what’s the worse that could happen? It’s an ugly and helpless way to die.
If you are going swimming and you cannot swim at the very least, wear a life-jacket!
Whenever someone comes aboard my boat I ask, ‘Can you swim? Yes? Great! Here, put this on. Now you can float!'
It’s about time that any boat owners or operators should be legally responsible for the safety of its crew, inside or outside of the vessel.
Bartenders are now required by law to prevent their patrons from driving if the suspect their sobriety. Owner/operators of a water vessel should be treated the same.
If life-jackets are not worn, you will not be allowed to go tubing.
Robert Barratt
Niagara Falls
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