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Always wear a life jacket while on the water, say city and partners

City of Greater Sudbury and local partners launch Drowning Prevention Week 

When out on the water you should always wear a life-jacket and never consume alcohol.

Those were two of the key messages from the City of Greater Sudbury, the Greater Sudbury Police Service, Science North and Health Sciences North during the kickoff for Drowning Prevention Week July 18.

According to the Lifesaving Society of Canada's latest Drowning Report for Ontario, there were 163 drowning fatalities in the province in 2013.

In 88 per cent of those cases the person was not wearing a personal flotation device.

Cody Malette, a local lifeguard and the city's waterfront director, demonstrated first hand the impact of not wearing a personal flotation device when he jumped into Ramsey Lake on Monday morning fully clothed.

“My shoes were falling off and not letting me move my feet the way I usually do,” Malette said. “My range of motion was really constricted.”

When event organizers tossed him a life jacket he said he found it difficult to put it on while in the water, but added he noticed a big difference once he finally got it on.

Dana Murchison, a staff scientist with Science North, said that even experienced swimmers exert much more energy if they are swimming with their clothes on.

One study threw a university swim team in a pool fully clothed, and found they exerted 40 per cent more energy just keeping their heads above the water. 

When they tried to swim more vigorously they exerted up to 80 per cent more energy than they would in their bathing suits.

Murchison said people also underestimate the impact cold water can have on their ability to swim.

Cold water draws heat from the body 25 to 40 times more quickly than air.

Const. Michel Brunette, an officer with the Greater Sudbury Police Service's marine unit, said he and his colleagues still stop boats with alcohol on board far too often.

Brunette said a vessel can only legally have alcohol on board if it is tied to shore, and has permanent cooking, sleeping and bathroom facilities.

“If you are going to be drinking you should not be operating your vessel,” Brunette said.

He added the rules and penalties that apply to drinking and driving also apply while drinking and operating a boat. 
 


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Jonathan Migneault

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