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Canoe rental
business owners and safety experts advise the public
to use common sense while having fun.
"The Niangua
River is usually calm and peaceful, but in certain areas
the water can be swift and catch you off guard, so pay
attention and never assume what lies under the water,"
said Rick Starkey, first responder for Bennett Spring
Fire Protection District and co-owner of Fort Niangua
Resort.
"Taking
the right equipment is important when canoeing,"
said Bob Burns, owner of the Niangua River Oasis. "People
should wear good dependable shoes, preferably tennis
shoes that tie. Bringing a cover-up shirt is useful
when you feel you've had enough sun and take waterproof
sunscreen to help protect against sunburn. Take food
to eat and lots of liquids because most canoe trips
take four to five hours and paddling is hard work. Wear
a hat because the sun can cause scalp burn with bad
headaches. If insect bites bother you, take insect repellent."
Each canoeist
must have a Coast Guard approved lifejacket, also known
as a PFD (Personal Flotation Device). Although the law
does not require that lifejackets be worn, any PFD not
worn will rapidly drift away if a boat should capsize.
So, for practical purposes if the PFD is not worn, it
is the same as not having one, advises the United States
Canoe Association. All children under seven years of
age must have a PFD on at all time while in a water
craft. If a canoe is more than 17 feet long, the operator
must also have a throwable flotation device on board.
"Areas
on the Niangua River that have caused the most injuries
to canoeists are rope swings and jump off points along
the river," said Starkey. "People are playing
Russian roulette when they jump into water that could
be two or ten foot deep. Even if a person thinks they
know an area well, rocks and trees can easily move to
where you least expect it in a fast flowing river."
"I don't advise people to play on the rope swings
or jump from the shore into the river, but people do
anyway, so please make sure to check the water where
you plan to jump before anyone risks their life,"
said Burns.
Drinking alcohol
is another major risk people take while canoeing, said
Starkey. Alcohol induced stupidity is the reason many
people put themselves in danger, he said. Keeping your
balance is hard enough while fighting a strong current,
but if someone has had too much to drink it compounds
their difficulties.
Coast Guard
statistics show that alcohol is a factor in more than
50 percent of all boating accidents. In many cases,
drinkers are sinkers. Unable to practice even basic
self-rescue, they often go under once and fail to surface.
The American
Canoe Association says be ready for an occasional dunking
when you canoe. They say, don't panic, stay upstream
of the boat to avoid being pinned between the boat and
a rock. Then, in calm waters, angle your way up to shore
instead of paddling straight. Stay behind the boat,
and hold onto it for flotation.
Safety equipment
that may also be useful is a throw line, which can be
used to rescue people drifting in the current. A spare
paddle and a container to bail water out of the canoe
is also helpful. Persons who do not use a canoe rental
business should always have a float plan and make sure
someone else knows where you are putting in, where you
will take out and what course you will follow.
"On the
river, you need to respect whoever is by you,"
said Burns. "If you break the law, then expect
to get in trouble. I want people to have a good time,
but common sense should be used before you get into
the water."
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