The West Parry Sound OPP was busy this summer patrolling local waterways.
The Marine Unit patrolled Georgian Bay while attending water access calls for service. As a result of the marine patrols, the Marine Unit issued 41 Small Vessel Regulation (SVR) charges and arrested four impaired boaters.
Throughout the summer, the OPP and the Coast Guard gathered statistics on the use of Personal Floatation Devices or PFDs.
The numbers showed that about 93 per cent of boaters had life preservers on board for each person but only 28 per cent were wearing the floatation devices. The OPP says survival rates are drastically reduced when a PFD is not worn in a boating emergency.
Parry Sound and Still River OPP officers patrol our communities and the highways to ensure road safety and conduct traffic enforcement throughout the West Parry Sound Detachments’ area.
In a release, Acting Detachment Commander Dominic Lalonde said “The water is getting colder but remember, it can take 30 minutes or more for most adults to become even mildly hypothermic in icy water. If you find yourself in extremely cold water, do not panic and remember that you have some extra time to make good decisions. Enjoy fall fishing and please wear your lifejacket.”
