Nine people had to be rescued from the waters of Georgian Bay in only 2 days.
The OPP says 7 of the people were rescued within a two-hour window on Thursday.
That’s when police say three women on paddleboards were waving for help, after they got blown out about 2kms from shore with only one life jacket and two paddleboards between them.
A couple of hours later, police say two kids were blown away from shore near the Beachwood Road area while on a foam mat toy, without any lifejackets, while a similar incident involving two men on an inflatable toy happened at Northwinds Beach in Blue Mountains, also with no lifejackets being used.
Then on Friday afternoon, police were called about two women who had been blown out into the bay from Wasaga Beach on a large pink flamingo toy.
Police say neither woman was wearing a life jacket and both were non swimmers.
All of the above individuals were rescued safely, but police would like to remind the public of the hazards involved with using inflatable toys, paddleboards and other water based equipment.
Here are a few important tips:
· ALWAYS wear a life jacket. Know your limitations. Set a good example for your children. Life jackets are available to borrow free of charge from any Ontario Parks gate house or office at Wasaga Beach.
· Check the weather and wind conditions. Offshore winds blow from the land towards the water. Conditions may appear smooth near the shoreline, but deteriorate the further you go out.
· Don’t mix alcohol or drugs with water activities.
· Avoid distractions STAY OFF YOUR CELL PHONE.
Inflatable toys are NOT a lifesaving device and provide a false sense of security. They should NEVER replace a life jacket or adult supervision.