Saskatoon RCMP to begin patrolling river in jet boat
Coming soon to the South Saskatchewan River - a new RCMP river patrol powered by a 17-foot jet boat.
“It’s designed to go into shallow water because the river is very low, so we can get out and check the boats for open alcohol, life jackets, impaired boating, issues like that on the water,” said Saskatoon RCMP Cpl. Craig Zwarych.
Until now the Saskatoon Police Service has been policing the South Saskatchewan, but the city’s police service has been limited with no watercraft.
This new to Saskatoon boat will take officers on the water and river users should be on the lookout.
For the past 12 years Captain Mike Steckhan has been at the helm of the Prairie Lilly and he said he’s seen his fair share of infractions out on the water.
“There are times we see drinking in boats and lots of it. We see people going down the river on inflatable pool toys and no life jacket or paddle, nothing to be seen, no way to maneuver, no way to get out of my way, no way to get out of anyone's way,” he said.
Last week a kayaker taking a break behind one of the bridge piers darted out in front of another watercraft, creating a risky and potentially deadly collision, he said.
“People aren’t purposely acting dangerously, they simply don’t know that what they’re doing not only affects them but it affects other people around them,” Steckhan said.
“Everybody should have a life jacket, you can’t have open alcohol on a boat or on a raft or anything like that, and there are speed limits you have to abide by,” Zwarych told CTV News.
This includes inflatable floats that have risen in popularity.
“It makes me shudder because there’s so many hazards in this water, that pool toy gets a hole in it and they’re in trouble,” Steckhan said.
The RCMP river patrol is outfitted with a mobile scanning and ticketing machine. Zwarych said education is the priority but they can and will write tickets.
Zwarych said once officers are trained the river patrol will be out on the water every weekend and long weekend and whenever it’s a hot sunny day and people are expected out on the water.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Grandparent scam: London, Ont., senior beats fraudsters not once, but twice
It was a typical Tuesday for Mabel Beharrell, 84, until she got the call that would turn her world upside down. Her teenaged grandson was in trouble and needed her help.
Deaths of 4 people on Sask. farm confirmed as murder-suicide
The deaths of four people on a farm near the Saskatchewan village of Neudorf have been confirmed a murder-suicide.
CRA no longer requiring 'bare trust' reporting in 2023 tax return
The Canada Revenue Agency announced Thursday it will not require 'bare trust' reporting from Canadians that it introduced for the 2024 tax season, just four days before the April 2 deadline.
Full parole granted to man convicted in notorious 'McDonald's murders' in Cape Breton
The Parole Board of Canada has granted full parole to one of three men convicted in the brutal murders of three McDonald's restaurant workers in Cape Breton more than 30 years ago.
Incident on Calgary's Reconciliation Bridge comes to safe resolution
Nearly 20 hours after a man climbed and remained perched on top of the Reconciliation Bridge in downtown Calgary, the situation came to a peaceful resolution.
Sunshine list: These were the Ontario public sector's highest earners in 2023
Ontario released its annual sunshine list Thursday afternoon, noting that the largest year-over-year increases were in hospitals, municipalities, and post-secondary sectors.
George Washington family secrets revealed by DNA from unmarked 19th century graves
Genetic analysis has shed light on a long-standing mystery surrounding the fates of U.S. President George Washington's younger brother Samuel and his kin.
'We won't forget': How some Muslims view Poilievre's stance on Israel-Hamas war
A spokesman for a regional Muslim advocacy group says Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre's stance on the Israel-Hamas war could complicate his party's relationship with Muslim Canadians.
Why some Christians are angry about Trump's 'God Bless the USA' Bible
Former U.S. President Donald Trump is officially selling a copy of the Bible themed to Lee Greenwood’s famous song, 'God Bless the USA.' But the concept of a Bible covered in the American flag has raised concern among religious circles.