Police urge life-jacket use after Shelter Bay drowning
Posted by editor on August 20, 2010 · 5 Comments
Revelstoke RCMP are investigating the drowning of a 50-year-old Westlock, Alta., woman.
A statement from the detachment said police were called to the Shelter Bay Provincial Park shortly after 8 pm on Wednesday, August 18.
‘The investigation has shown that a husband and wife were out in a small Zodiac, fishing in Upper Arrow Lake,” the statement said. “The victim was standing in the boat when she fell overboard. The victim’s husband was able to get her to shore but CPR attempts failed to resuscitate her.”
The victim was a non-swimmer and was not wearing a life jacket. Revelstoke RCMP and the British Columbia Coroners Service are continuing the investigation.
“This tragedy could have been avoided which is why police across the province are urging all water users to wear a personal floation device at all times when on a vessel,” the statement said.
Once again the issue of wearing life jackets rears its ugly head. Such tragedies can be avoided easily yet people still don’t seem to understand it. I really hope that the government can make wearing a life jacket manditory. Its a no brainer and the current styles makes it very comfortable not to mention safer.
Mandatory swim lessons would be far more helpfull.
Even if you are an elite swimmer it won’t help you if you bumped your head and are unconscious in the water.
As well, people without the financial means often are not good swimmers. In northern BC, and third world countries people drown each year because they can’t swim. A life jacket is mandatory in all boats so let’s lose the ‘incool’ attitude toward life jackets and put them on each time we get in a boat.
Lifejackets are designed to flip you over onto your back so you will not drown even if you are unconscious.
I hope the RCMP and coroner’s office find out it really was an accident…..????
I think it should be mandatory to wear lifejackets in a boat…what good are they sitting on the floor? I saw to gentlemen near some falls the other day…very close to them, no lifejackets in site. People please be careful!