On Canada Day weekend, the marine unit of the Southern Georgian Bay OPP checked 66 vessels during 42 hours of patrol on area waterways for equipment compliance and operator sobriety.
Officers charged four vessel operators who failed to have sufficient life jackets for all persons onboard during their vessel inspections, police said in a news release.
One operator was charged for a Liquor Licence Act offence which was followed by a roadside screening (ASD) test, which the operator passed.
Two boat operators failed to have their Pleasure Craft Operator Card and one was charged for failing to have a spotter in their vessel while towing another person.
Fifteen other operators were warned of violations under the Canada Shipping Act relating primarily to the lack of essential safety equipment on their vessel, police said.
Officers responded to 13 calls for service while they patrolled the Tiny Township shoreline and Giants Tomb area which was busy with boaters taking in the sunny weather, according to police.
Police noted officers were dispatched to a report from an Apple iPhone app called "crash detection" on the Sturgeon Bay area over the weekend.
Upon arrival, the officers learned the operator of a personal watercraft had turned the app on and because of enjoying the tight turns and other features of the craft the "crash detection" was activated.
Police said this phone feature calls for emergency services based only on the physical jarring of the phone (and may not be appropriate for use in this situation).
The marine unit also reminded boaters about having and wearing your lifejacket while on the water this summer, since even though the days are warm, the water is cool and may pose a risk if you have a boating accident or go overboard and are in the water for an extended period.
Police also shared a reminder of the dangers of carbon monoxide poisoning while in your vessel if you or a rafted-up fellow boater have a gas burning appliance or generator onboard.
Carbon Monoxide safety reminder for boaters in light of last weekends near fatal incident for 6 area boaters. #SGBOPP #DriveSafe #BoatSafe ^dh pic.twitter.com/dvtKl9Ujsn
— OPP Central Region (@OPP_CR) June 2, 2023
