Brian Sackman and Matthew Smith are spending a lot of time on the water around the Island of Montreal this summer.
Both are auxiliary members of the Canadian Coast Guard, a couple of volunteers with a mandate to promote water and boat safety.
“The mandate of the Coast Guard Auxiliary is to save lives,” Sackman told Global News.
The two-man team is just one among the hundreds of Coast Guard Auxiliary members who patrol the lakes and rivers throughout the province.
They don’t have the power to arrest or seize boats but they can call in a law enforcement agency for backup if they suspect illegal activity.
Mostly, Sackman and Smith say they respond to distress calls. Often, it’s boaters who’ve run aground or who’ve run out of gas and need to be towed to shore.
“Our primary concern is with boat safety: people having the right equipment; doing the right thing on the water; not getting into trouble,” Sackman said.
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Some of the work involves keeping boaters out of the way of cargo ships in the Saint-Lawrence Seaway or making sure others don’t get caught in the currents near the Mercier Bridge which can pull boaters to the dangerous Lachine rapids.
Already this season, they say, they’ve had to rescue six or seven people. In most years, it’s one to two rescues per season.
“It’s extremely deadly. You can easily be thrown off the boat and hit a rock,” Smith told Global News.
As they patrol the waters, Sackman and Smith make a lot of courtesy visits — checking on boaters reminding them about the importance of practicing boat safety and providing tips.
Important information that goes a long way to help boaters enjoy a fun and safe summer season on the water.