Water, ice and alcohol snowmobile safety: OPP

An Ontario Provincial Police snowmobile is shown in this undated file image.

Every year, police find that snowmobile rides that include alcohol or drugs never end well.

Riders are urged to have a plan to get home safely before they head out for a day of riding, to wear the required personal safety equipment and abide by the applicable provincial legislation.

Georgian Bay Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) want to remind riders that no ice is safe ice and that any travel on the current water/ice surface conditions should be done while wearing proper survival clothing/suit and having a fully charged cell phone.

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Telling a friend, family member or neighbour of their destination if they are crossing a lake is strongly advised.

The following video link Cold Water Boot Camp video demonstrates how the human body reacts to the effects of cold water immersion.

North Simcoe area fire services train in ice and water rescue incidents; however, valuable time is lost in determining and attending incident locations. Aerial support may be available through the Joint Rescue Coordination Centre in Trenton, but arrival time may be lengthy leaving self-rescue as their only option.

Snowmobile riders should be aware that by using location apps available through their smartphone such as What 3 Words, helps pinpoint your location in real time.

OPP officers remind all off-road vehicle riders that an essential part of the enforcement job is to save lives and reduce injuries on our trails.