The Titanic, Part 2

We did in fact spend Canada Day at the beach, which was lovely. Our plan was to divide our time between the beach and our small motor boat which we had towed to the park.

However, as we loaded it off the trailer it promptly began to, uhm, fill rapidly with water. At first, Rich was pretty sure that the water was the result of the rainy weather. He assumed the boat had filled up while outside at the mechanic's shop...yes, that's another story. But, it soon became clear that the water going in was keeping pace with the water pumping out. Not good. So we abandoned ship, onto the dock, and went back to the lawn chairs. No harm. No foul.

As we towed the boat back to the beach our 5-year-old broke into a rousing rendition of the Titanic, changing the words to suit the occasion.

That's my segway into the topic of boating accidents and boating safety. Pretty slick.

Early in my career I was involved in a tragic boating case resulting in two fatalities and a severe brain injury. Speed, darkness, alcohol and inexperienced boating all played a role in that terrible accident. The case took ten years to get to trial and was successful. But in the end, all anyone got was money. Shattered lives remained shattered.

The better route, of course, is to operate safely. www.safecanada.ca has some important information about boating safety for Canadian waters. In particular, I like their take on the importance of lifejackets, even for adults. They make the point:

Research has shown that unexpected immersion in water can place a boater at serious risk if they are not wearing a flotation device to assist them in those first moments. This is true regardless of the experience of the boater, the nearness to shore and even swimming ability. The body's reaction to the surprise of going overboard and the shock of cold water can profoundly affect breathing, nerves and muscle strength. Wearing a lifejacket gives you time to adjust to the emergency and allows you to assist others.

I am a pretty good swimmer, was a life guard, etc. Nevertheless, I cannot sit comfortably in a boat with my kids without wearing lifejacket myself. I worry that I wouldn't be able to help them if I needed to.

I wish someone would invent a stylish lifejacket. Not a scuba / windsurfer look but an actual piece of clothing that looks presentable even on someone who is not hanging ten. But I digress...

I hope you all had a happy Canada Day and happy July.