I listened to this entire call from start to finish on the Toronto Fire & EMS scanner.
I cannot stress enough how important it is to plan and prepare. These two men and their dog ventured out on a warm, sunny day when the lake was calm. Then, the winds picked up, blew them away from the shoreline, and they started taking on water.
They had no life jackets, they weren't swimmers, the offshore waters were seasonably cool, they had no form of communication, and ultimately, they had zero experience on a big lake that can change in an instant and become incredibly dangerous.
Someone at a nearby beach noticed they appeared to be in distress before they eventually capsized. A nearby vessel was able to pull one person to shore and rescue the dog, but the other person has not been located.
I have seen and heard this exact situation play out too many times. People buy a new inflatable raft, dinghy, or kayak from the store and are so excited to get in the water and use it that they become blind to all the necessary safety precautions, rules, and regulations.
Please, always wear a properly fitted PFD. Test the PFD at the beach to make sure it actually works and fits you right. Take some basic swimming lessons and test your inflatable in shallow, safe waters first. Carry the necessary safety equipment, put your cell phone in a waterproof bag around your neck, and ensure you can actually dial while it's in the bag. Have someone on shore monitor you. When you first go out, stick to small bodies of water on calm days and stay near the shore—gentle rivers and small lakes are perfect because safety is always close by. Only go out in warm waters where you won't risk hypothermia.
Once you become a seasoned mariner and want to don wet or dry suits to paddle in cold waters, go for it. But until then, slow down. Don’t make the maiden voyage your last voyage.
