The Victoria Day long weekend also marks the start of National Safe Boating Week.

 

Doctor Christopher Love, Water Smart Coordinator with Lifesaving Society Manitoba, shares the numbers on boating-related deaths in the province.

 

“Unfortunately, we do see on average about eight to ten fatalities related to boating incidents every year in the province of Manitoba. It can go higher or lower depending on the exact year. There are an unfortunately uncounted number of incidents where there’s not a fatality involved but there could be injury or a close shave that are never reported because they never have to call in the police, search and rescue or whatever the case may be.”

 

Love says it’s especially important for new boaters who picked up the hobby over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic to practice safe boating behaviours.

 

He says people should take a boating course to ensure they know how to operate the craft, make sure to wear a lifejacket, and to boat sober.

 

Listen to Thompson Today at 12:40 and 5:10 this afternoon for more on National Safe Boating Week.