Jet Skiers Getting Way Too Close To Niagara Falls Are Being Called "Reckless" & "Stupid"
If your plan is to enjoy the long weekend with some water sports, stay away from danger. Niagara Falls jet ski riders and boaters are being deemed "reckless" and "stupid" after getting too close for comfort. Ontario Power Generation is warning others not to be so careless.
In a July 28 news release, OPG said that they’ve seen an increase in water activity this summer in the dangerous Niagara River.
The actions of these water-sport enthusiasts were summed up as "reckless, dangerous, selfish, and stupid."
That includes a couple of jet skiers who were caught riding dangerously close to the falls in June.
Police and OPG have come together to deliver a message to these risk-takers.
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"Entering the areas above the falls is dangerous not only for the boaters but also for emergency services who have to respond to get them out," said Sergeant Jon Pilkington of the Niagara Regional Police.
"You’re not just putting yourselves in danger, but you’re also endangering the lives of emergency personnel who have to respond."
The organization says boaters were also to blame after a weekend of broken water safety rules.
Federal law restricts any recreational use of the Niagara River downstream from Welland River.
Ontario Power Generation has done its best to make it crystal clear to boaters and water users that they may not get close to the falls and have installed “three very large red signs upstream of [the falls], warning boaters of the dangerous waters.”
When boaters or jet skiers get too close to the falls, they engage an alarm system that is shared by OPG and its counterpart across the border, the New York Power Authority.
In September 2019, police were forced to rescue a man from the Niagara River leading to the Horseshoe Falls.
“After going through one of the [International Niagara Control Works]’ control gates on his jet ski, the man fell into the frigid water. Police were able to locate the man, who was found floating and wearing a life jacket, before pulling him out near the brink of the falls,” reports OPG.
Water safety is always important, and recently, the Canadian Coast Guard even reminded people that social distancing also applies to boating.