LOST PROPERTY: ARE YOUR DETAILS ON YOUR CANOE OR KAYAK?
HM Coastguard dealt with 578 incidents involving
canoes and kayaks in 2012. Sadly, there were nine fatalities.
The type of call outs ranged from falling in to the
water, fighting with strong winds and rip tides, to a lack of survival
equipment. But another key issue is canoes or kayaks that have been found
drifting at sea or abandoned on shore. Coastguards often spend valuable time
tracking down the owners to check if they’re safely ashore or actually in
trouble at sea. This occasionally involves a large-scale search and rescue
mission, involving coastguard rescue teams, lifeboats and even search and rescue
helicopters.
HM Coastguard has now produced a free ID sticker
which owners can use to write their contact details on and stick on their canoe
or kayak.
Anne Young, HM Coastguard’s National Liaison Officer
for canoes and kayaks, says:
"We recommend that you clearly mark your canoe or
kayak with your name and contact details so that if it is lost, stolen or
abandoned we can contact you to make sure that you are safe. This will save a
lot of time, and could give us extra information we need to help you if we
believe you’re in difficulty at sea.
"The new stickers are very easy to use. Just write
your contact details onto the paper side, stick the laminate over the top and
stick onto your canoe or kayak.
"For canoeists and kayakers, our other safety advice
is to wear a buoyancy aid and make sure you carry a VHF radio, so you can
contact the Coastguard on channel 16 if you get into difficulty. A Personal
Locator Beacon ( PLB ) is also a good idea for more remote locations, so
an accurate position of where you are can be sent direct to the Coastguard. And
remember to tell a shore contact where you are going and when you expect to
return so that they can contact us if you do not come home as
expected."
The new ID stickers
can be ordered via this link: http://mca.ecgroup.net/Publications/Recreationandwatersport%C2%A0/Recreationandwatersport%C2%A0.aspx
HM
Coastguard’s National Liaison Officer for canoes and kayaks will be at the
Paddle Show, Bells Sports Centre, Perth this weekend (26-27 October). Stickers will also be
available from the HM Coastguard stand at the show this weekend.