Rubber Rafts Can Be Death-Traps

Te Ao Hou, March 1965, Page 43

Rubber Rafts Can Be Death-Traps Inflatable rubber rafts can be death-traps, especially the cheap variety which are intended for camping, not for surfing. Even quite a small wave can roll them over. The following principles for ensuring safety in small boats should be observed at all times: ? Use your boat only where it will be safe. Any boat under 16 ft. should not leave sheltered waters. ? Don't overload. ? Be fully equipped. All boats, even those with motors, should have oars and rowlocks, a baler, anchor and rope, spare bungs, and life jackets for everyone (which should be worn). ? Watch the weather. If it looks threatening, stay ashore. ? Don't abandon ship. If your boat capsizes, stay with it. ? Always wear a life-jacket. Five drownings last year occurred in rivers, another two in creeks. A boy who was playing by the riverside was seen to slip and fall into the water. He was wearing gum-boots. Rubber-soled footwear is not suitable for use in wet or slippery conditions, as it does not provide a firm grip. One should be especially careful when wearing gum-boots in water. The phrase ‘not seen again’ is one which appears again and again in drowning reports. An instance is that of the 15-year-old Maori boy seen swimming out to a pylon in a river. He was washed downstream and was not seen again.