Hot, sunny summer days mean more people out on the water. Safety rules need to be followed and if not, the police are out giving tickets. At KSF in LaSalle right on the St. Lawrence River, they rent surf boards, paddle boards and kayaks. Every rental goes out with the proper safety equipment, says Simon Vallee, who is a coach there. Just up current in Lachine on July 26, boater James Seeney watched as police were ticketing paddle boarders who were not following the rules. “I saw a number of police boats bringing the water paddle boarders back with no lifejacket or no whistle,” he said. His social media post about what he saw collected lots of comments. “We had about 250 comments,” says Seeney. Boarders could owe $250 for their infractions, says Raynald Hawkins of the Quebec Lifesaving Society. The whistle is mandatory so you can call for help explains, Vallee. “If I ever just bring some attention on me, I can whistle one time for the attention, 3 times if I need help,” he said. Seeley says he saw some sunken faces that day on the water. “Some of them were very discouraged [knowing] you have to pay such a fine. And it’s a lot of money for the average person.” Hawkins adds it’s not enough to have your life vest strapped to your board -- have it on your body.
