Water Smart Coordinator with Lifesaving Society Manitoba Doctor Christopher Love shares the numbers on boating-related deaths in the province. He notes unfortunately we do see on average 8 to 10 fatalities related to boating incidents every year in the province of Manitoba, it can go higher or lower depending on the exact year, and they there’s unfortunately an uncounted number of incidents where there’s not a fatality involved but there could be injury or close shaves as it were that are never ever reported because they don’t have to call in police or search and rescue whatever the case may be.          

Love says it’s especially important for new boaters to practice safe boating behaviours. He says people should take a boating course to ensure they know how to operate the craft, make sure to wear a lifejacket and boat sober.