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OPP Prepare for Pottahawk

Thursday, 6 July 2017 at 08:16

The OPP are getting ready for a very busy couple of days - the annual Pottahawk weekend is upon us.

Lots of boats will hit up Lake Erie for Pottahawk this weekend. 

The annual get together at Pottahawk Point attracts around 10,000 people in about 2,000 vessels on average.

Constable Ed Sanchuk says Norfolk OPP will be out in full force this weekend making sure only sober drivers with a pleasure craft operator's card are driving the boats and all the necessary safety equipment is on board. 

"Every year we seem to arrest impaired boaters and again I stress the importance - if you get behind the wheel of your vessel it's also impaired as it is getting behind the wheel of a motor vehicle. So please, let's use some common sense. People that do this type of behaviour are not only putting themselves at risk along with the innocent people in their vessel, but also the innocent people in the lake that might possibly be swimming so we don't want to have any collisions or fatalities in our waterways."

Officers will also inspect boats to make sure all necessary safety equipment is on board. A life jacket or a personal floatation device is required for each passenger on the boat.

Sanchuk tells Heart FM police will also crack down on hitch-hikers on Sunday.

"We are working with all the marina owners to make sure nobody gets a ride out to Pottahawk because they don't have a ride back. In past years we have had people attempting to swim back from Pottahawk Point to Turkey Point while intoxicated and they almost drown."

Sanchuk adds two or three people almost died after trying to swim from Pottahawk to Turkey Point last year.

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