Page 59 - Discover Summer 2021

How To Prevent This Dangerous Hazard

Safest and Most-Enjoyed

Lake in the South East

That’s the headline every home owner, renter, never returned to render assistance.
real estate agent, marina owner, First Responder,
Simply calling COVID 19 the cause for this step-
parent and Water Safety Council (WSC) member
increase in incidents with increased lake utilization
wants to read and brag about. Be it business revenue,
is “steer droppings” in one’s opinion. With such
tax revenue, re-sale values, increased client base,
a loss of life across our nation why haven’t we put
anticipated retirement and vacation quality; the
human safety first and be thankful we can get out
distinctive title carries real value.
and enjoy the blessings of “Lake Life”? If you rent,
Despite your WSC’s best efforts to get the word out sell or enable paddle craft, jet ski and power boat use
early and sound the alarm, last year turned out to be do you take the time to educate while you have that
a less than stellar year for water safety in Virginia and unique opportunity to make a difference? If you are a
on Smith Mountain Lake (SML). power craft operator do you go out sober and focused
on making sure you do not endanger
The State of Virginia Department of
others or damage property? If you have
Wildlife Resources recently posted the
children in your care, do you insist they
safety statistics for the 2020 boating
wear a life jacket as set by your own
season noting a 50 percent increase in
example? The alternative results make
the number of boating incidents in the
fun fleeting and gives hardship a foot in
State which including 21 deaths (11
the door.
involved paddle craft). This increase
was closely mirrored in the number So please work with us; we would
of reportable incidents on Smith only get those tangible fiscal benefits
Mountain Lake. The paddle craft of “Safest and Most Enjoyed...” by
increase alone is alarming, and those earning them and staying focused on the
statistics never include the close calls like these of preservation of life first in all venues of recreational
recent past; and business use on Smith Mountain Lake. Accept
with purpose the responsibility to selflessly navigate
- A family of five in two canoes were washed up
with the welfare of all others your one overarching
against an unimproved rock shoreline by a pleasure
priority. Resident or guest, long-term community
craft’s plowing wake while paddling along the water’s
member or new neighbor, young or young -at- heart;
edge. Both canoes were swamped with all onboard
let’s turn around the trend this summer.
wearing life jackets. The boat operator never returned
to render assistance. “A lake community striving every day to improve
safety and remove risks to others is where we call
- A grandmother was enjoying an early morning
home.”
swim at her dock with her young grandson when a ski
boat made runs along their dock line without regard Need teachable information try going back and look
for wake dangers to swimmers. The woman and child at our previous content in Discover SML, Punch
wearing a life jacket were driven from the lake and up smlassociation.org under SML Water Safety
from atop their floating dock. Council. You may also review SML Water Safety
Council postings on FaceBook and in the Laker
- A woman and child were knocked down while
Weekly for SMLWSC news.
paddle boarding in the back end of a narrowing creek
by a sharp turning boat’s power wake. The two were
Share the Lake and Watch Your Wake.
protected by wearing life jackets. The boat operator

www.discoversmithmountainlake.com 57