Local fire services and the Government of Saskatchewan want people to keep safety in mind as boating season gets going (file photo/paNOW Staff)

By Michael Joel-Hansen

Summer Safety

Staying safe on the water this summer

May 28, 2019 | 2:28 PM

The weather in Prince Albert and the surrounding area is heating up.

With that, many people are likely ready to head out to the lake and get going with their summer activities like boating.

Chris McShannock, fire chief of Lakeland Fire Department said people should keep a few things in mind before taking their boat out on the water.

Along with making sure the vessel is in good working order, McShannock stressed people need to be aware of boats around them, citing there are no traffic markers on the water.

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In the most recent years, the Lakeland Fire Chief said they have not received a large number of calls to help people on the water. McShannock said overall the number of rescues they perform can vary.

“Some years we’re on the water lots and some years we don’t respond out,” he said.

Emergency calls range from getting hurt, to vessels capsizing, McShannock said. If anyone is in need of help, he said boaters should be aware of their location and provide emergency responders specific descriptions of their boat.

“That’s a big thing for us; we can be deployed onto Emma Lake — that’s a big lake,” he said.

Alex Paul, deputy chief with the P.A. Fire Department said his department is sometimes called out to deal with people who are in distress on the North Saskatchewan River. Paul said in a number of cases people have gotten into trouble because they have taken out boats which are not capable of handling the river.

“We have to keep in mind the North Saskatchewan River flows rather quickly. It’s a shallow river, with a lot of sand bars and the sand bars move around,” he said.

Along with sand bars, Paul said there is also debris in the water, which can damage water craft.

“It’s not probably a place that you’d want to learn to operate a boat,” he said.

Paul said before people head out they should be aware of Transports Canada’s regulations which govern what emergency equipment a boat needs to have on board. The equipment includes fire extinguishers, an anchor, flotation devices, navigation devices and equipment as well as waterproof flashlights and flairs.

Sgt. Daryl Minter with the Conservation Officer Service with the Ministry of Environment said while the law states operators need to have enough life jackets on board for every person, he recommends people take extra steps to ensure their safety.

Along with having the right equipment, Minter said people should refrain from having alcohol out on the water.

“A lot of people seem to feel that things that they know they can’t do on the road, they don’t seem to have an issue thinking they can do it on the lake,” he said.

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MichaelJoel.Hansen@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @mjhskcdn