The sound of a cigarette boat is an interrupted roar that can be heard for miles in all directions. It’s a noise that will forever haunt the family and loved ones of 10-year-old Lionel Hall, who was killed in a tragic boating collision on June 7.
While a hot, sunny Saturday had all the makings of an ideal time to get out on the water, in hindsight it was a recipe for disaster.
People living by the shore in Deep Cove and near Whey-ah-Wichen/Cates Park will tell you that boat traffic in the area is busier than ever. And that many recreational boaters don’t respect the five-knot-limit zone near Boulder Island, nor observe other safe behaviours.
Cigarette, or “go-fast,” boats are also cause for concern. Their oversized hulls and souped-up engines can make them dangerous weapons, especially when alcohol is in the mix.
More enforcement is part of the solution. That should be within reach, given that police, coast guard and the port authority are all charged with oversight of local waterways. But as is often the case when multiple parties are responsible for the same task, sometimes no one takes ultimate responsibility.
Regularly, police broadcast enforcement blitzes that rightly ticket or take irresponsible drivers off our roads. We should hear of similar crackdowns on bad boaters.
Unless a more co-ordinated approach to marine enforcement is taken, preventable tragedies will continue to lurk at sea.
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