A family friend.. I can't believe it... Lifejackets ????

[tizfun]

Just off the phone with my parents who gave me the news... I can't believe it... What were they thinking ???

 

Funny, I was on here just before I received the call and was reading the post by "cram" on Lifejackets to be mandatory in Canada/Ontario?

 

 

Toronto man dies after canoe capsizes on Big Cedar Lake

 

The Canadian Press

 

PETERBOROUGH, Ont. — Provincial police say a Toronto man has died in a canoeing accident on Big Cedar Lake in the Kawarthas northeast of Peterborough, Ont.

 

Police say two men were about 150 metres from shore when their canoe capsized on Tuesday evening.

 

Two other men who were nearby were able to locate a 32-year-old man and assist him to shore.

 

The other man could not be located and they called 911.

 

The body of 27-year-old Kostas Danny Markos was located by the fire department in seven metres of water about 100 metres from shore.

 

Police say neither of the men had life-jackets and they had no other emergency equipment in the canoe.

[archer379]

thats teribile i fish that lake all the time my condolinces to the family makes the life jacket law seem better alll the time at least in smaller craft

[irishfield]

Terrible for sure and condolences to all involved. But considering the lack of any required gear in the canoe.. mandating "XYZ" wouldn't change anything.

[Gerritt]

Sorry for the loss of you're friend.

 

G

[Tarzan's Jane]

Sad indeed....so young....it could have been prevented. Sorry you lost a friend.

[Jer]

Very sad indeed, a terrible way to lose a friend. How quickly a day can turn from delight to dispair.

 

 

thats teribile i fish that lake all the time my condolinces to the family makes the life jacket law seem better alll the time at least in smaller craft

 

 

With all due respect, it seems they were already flagrantly disregarding existing safety laws without the required safety gear (including PFDs) on board. What makes you believe an additional "lifejacket law" on the books would have made any difference to their behaviour or the final outcome?

[fisher]

Sorry to hear for your loss. My condolences to all affected.

 

But no law would not have made any difference since they were already offside with the current law of having lifejackets on board. Sadly, had they had lifejackets (even not wearing them), that would have given him a better chance since he could have grabbed on to one when in the water.

[Tarzan's Jane]

It's nice to think that he would have,or could have clung onto a PFD if it was floating near him.....so why didn't he then grab onto an oar, or the canoe, or his friend????

[BillsTheBassMan]

A very sad and too frequent story. My condolences to anyone affected by this recent tragedy.

 

I think the Mandatory Wearing of Life Jackets law has a few ideas behind it:

 

1) The law will be MUCH easier to enforce, since you can just binocular boats and see if they are abiding.

 

2) It will probably save lives (while pissing off hundreds of thousands of people and limiting personal choice). This isn't as obvious as the motorcyclists needing helmets law, but could be viewed in the same realm if the law passes.

 

3) It will create revenue for the Government, particularly for bodies of water.

 

I'm 50/50 on it personally, but stories like this one really make me think that watercraft under 16' should have these requirements.

 

Granted, the previous points that those rules in this situation would have ignored are most certainly valid as well.

[Gerry]

Very tragic indeed, and it didn't have to happen. My condolences.

 

I agree that the new law might not have prevented this individual from ignoring the law and meeting his subsequent demise. But, and a very BUT, isn't doing something better than doing nothing? A new law making the wearing of PFDs would create awareness and might have prevented this drowning. For we "more enlightened people", the new law would have no adverse effect...... it would certainly not make us remove the PFDs!

[fisher]

It's nice to think that he would have,or could have clung onto a PFD if it was floating near him.....so why didn't he then grab onto an oar, or the canoe, or his friend????

 

Good point. And I hope my comments are not being viewed as calous or inconsiderate of the events, but the fact is that they ignored the current law of requiring life jackets on board, so even a law mandating the wearing of life jackets would likely have been ignored too.

[cram]

Really sorry about your friend.

[cram]

A very sad and too frequent story. My condolences to anyone affected by this recent tragedy.

 

I think the Mandatory Wearing of Life Jackets law has a few ideas behind it:

 

1) The law will be MUCH easier to enforce, since you can just binocular boats and see if they are abiding.

 

2) It will probably save lives (while pissing off hundreds of thousands of people and limiting personal choice). This isn't as obvious as the motorcyclists needing helmets law, but could be viewed in the same realm if the law passes.

 

3) It will create revenue for the Government, particularly for bodies of water.

 

I'm 50/50 on it personally, but stories like this one really make me think that watercraft under 16' should have these requirements.

 

Granted, the previous points that those rules in this situation would have ignored are most certainly valid as well.

 

Why under 16 feet? I feel that i'm safer in my canoe or tin tippy on my small water-as-smooth-as-glass lake than in a 16 footer on a bigger lake when i'm at the back fixing a downrigger.

 

Chris

[ctranter]

I don't think it's appropriate to use this tragedy as an opportunity to spread my personal agenda on lifejacket laws. I lost my father to the water, and it changed me forever.

 

I am very sorry and my condolences go out to everyone involved.

[BillsTheBassMan]

I don't think it's appropriate to use this tragedy as an opportunity to spread my personal agenda on lifejacket laws. I lost my father to the water, and it changed me forever.

 

I am very sorry and my condolences go out to everyone involved.

 

I hear you - my condolences to you as well.

 

I want to be clear that I don't have an agenda on the life jacket law, but people are bound to draw connections whenever something like this happens.

 

The way I personally see the life jacket situation is this: I personally assess the situation, decide whether a PFD is warranted, if it is warranted I wear one, if I don't feel it is currently needed I make sure I have one is nearby for any changing conditions.

[BillsTheBassMan]

Why under 16 feet? I feel that i'm safer in my canoe or tin tippy on my small water-as-smooth-as-glass lake than in a 16 footer on a bigger lake when i'm at the back fixing a downrigger.

 

Chris

 

I was using 16' and less as a general example. It goes without saying that smaller watercraft are in more danger during bad conditions and can fall prey more often to idiots driving bigger boats. You wouldn't want a cigarette boat blowing by you on that canoe. The law has to be general, it's too confusing to make it lake and situation specific.

 

Regardless, this is the wrong thread for this conversation. If it is to continue, it should continue on the Life Jacket thread that has been floating around the message boards the last few days (though that thread is referenced in the original post here).

[capt bruce]

I was using 16' and less as a general example. It goes without saying that smaller watercraft are in more danger during bad conditions and can fall prey more often to idiots driving bigger boats. You wouldn't want a cigarette boat blowing by you on that canoe. The law has to be general, it's too confusing to make it lake and situation specific.

 

Regardless, this is the wrong thread for this conversation. If it is to continue, it should continue on the Life Jacket thread that has been floating around the message boards the last few days (though that thread is referenced in the original post here).

[bigbuck]

Wow, sorry to hear about this. They should have had pfd's in the canoe, there was no excuse for that. My sincerest condolences to the family.

[Twocoda]

my sincere condolences to his family and friends..not that any age is a good age to go....but his age was way too young

[tizfun]

Thank you for all the support. It's been a tough few days that will be etched in my mind forever.

 

Yesterday was the burial and oh man, something I really don't want to go through or see again.. This death was so avoidable and I guess the decision they made not to bring jackets on board, cost them and their families for the rest of their lives.. His best friend, the one with him that survived was all over the (open casket) saying I'm sorry. Just complete sorrow and devistation to both families as they were the best of friends..

 

Here's some info I got... When they were gonna head out in the canoe (different lake, not the one their cottage is on) his buddy said he couldn't find the lifejackets and said he was gonna call his dad to ask where they were. (Family Friend) says, "don't worry, were not going out far and besides they'll get angry that we're taking the canoe else where to fish, let's just go.."

 

So off they went, just with 2 paddles.

 

So no phone call was made even though his buddy(survivor) wanted to make the call.

 

 

Take care all. and thanks again..

Tiz

[wvmedic]

tizfun, very sad indeed. I hope the friend that was with him can get over his feeling of being responsible, they where both adults and capable of making there own decision and they both decided to go out. So if the friend can look at it in this perspective maybe he will get over the survivors guilt.

 

I pray that the family and friends can soon have peace with them selves.

 

 

And just to say you absolutely do not have to be out in the middle of the river or lake to have this happen. I had the misfortune of having to run a drowning call near the end of the season last year, it was at the local ramp I use all the time. The victim was a man in his 30's, he was at the launch loading his boat on the trailer after a fun day on the water, when he decided to go under the water, per his wife to do something with a rope on the trailer. He never resurfaced he was only in three foot of water, his wife and children was on the boat and witnessed the whole thing.

 

I was driving by the local shopping center the other day and there was his boat for sale, when I saw the boat it brought that evening flooding back into my mind. I'm sure seeing the boat sitting at the house did the same for his family.

 

Jeff

Edited May 30, 2010 by wvmedic

[tb4me]

Sad to read about this yet again..sorry for your loss.