Boaters are being encouraged to stay sober this long weekend.
RCMP enforcement on Alberta’s lakes and rivers will be stepped up, as a campaign called Operation Dry Water tries to paddle the safety message home.
Mandy Fisher, Development and Operations Manager with the Life Saving Society, said alcohol consumption is a factor in almost 40 per cent of boating-related fatalities.
“We ask that boaters and swimmers do not enter the water if they’ve been drinking, because alcohol influences your balance, your co-ordination, your judgement, and its effects are heightened by exposure to sun and heat, making it much more difficult to get yourself out of trouble,” she said.
She added, it’s also important to wear a life jacket.
