This has happened twice in recent weeks off Cap-Chat and Sainte-Anne-des-Monts, in Haute-Gaspésie: paddleboard enthusiasts have gone out on the river when the sea was calm and that the winds were non-existent. Suddenly, strong winds picked up and carried them out to sea. Unable to get back to shore, they had to call for help.
Posted at 11:30 a.m.
“Luckily, people had their personal flotation device, which is essential,” comments Steve Dumont, director of fire safety at the MRC de la Haute-Gaspésie. Both groups had their cell phones with them, they were able to contact the emergency services. »
They were all brought back to shore safe and sound. “They were well organized, they are people who knew the sector,” he adds.
However, they made a mistake: leaving the safety of a cove to head out to sea. “You venture a little too far to see the landscape, to see beautiful sunsets,” says Mr. Dumont. But when the winds turn, you can’t control it. »
PHOTO BERNARD BRAULT, PRESS ARCHIVES
The sunset is beautiful. You still need to plan for possible temperature changes.
Coincidentally, Réseau plein air Québec chose this type of misadventure for a campaign that invites outdoor enthusiasts to help reduce accidents. On the campaign’s website, we keep a humorous tone when we ask the reader what he could have done to avoid this misadventure. There is a choice of answers:
A- Nothing more, I was 100% prepared and I resist the cold well.
B- I would have prepared myself better.
C- I would have brought chips and the necessary to prepare a mojito.
The answer is obviously B. It is explained that it is important to find out about the weather forecast and the tides and that training could help to better assess the risks.
“The ‘frightening’ approach isn’t really winning,” says Annick St-Denis, Executive Director of Réseau plein air Québec. Being outdoors is something fun, so we want to stay in tune. »
The network launched the “Be Part of the Solution” campaign to help solve two major issues affecting the outdoor world: skyrocketing insurance premiums for organizations and venue managers, and the loss access to certain places of practice.
“We created an insurance committee with various outdoor stakeholders, federations, insurance people, people from the parks,” she says.
We did a study to profile insurance in the outdoor environment. Then, we said to ourselves that we also had to do something with regard to the general public: people must realize that it is not just the federations or site managers who must create winning conditions to put insurers in trust.
Annick St-Denis, Executive Director of Quebec Outdoor Network
In other words, outdoor enthusiasts must be part of the solution.
PHOTO ROBERT SKINNER, LA PRESSE ARCHIVES
Quebecers have taken many outdoor places by storm during the pandemic. Some owners reacted by prohibiting access.
The thorny question of access…
The campaign addresses another issue: loss of access.
“There was the furious madness of COVID-19: people landed en masse on the practice sites, recalls Mme St-Denis. In panic, instead of trying to find solutions, we closed municipal sites or private properties. »
This is somewhat the subject of the second part of the campaign: after a great weekend of canoe-camping, the outdoor enthusiast can no longer find his car. What happened ?
A- The site manager sold it in my absence to pay his ever-increasing insurance premium.
B- I was parked on private land. My car was towed.
C- In my absence, a team had to rescue a group of canoeists. My car was blocking emergency vehicle access. It was moved 100 meters further.
Respecting private property is the guarantee of good relations with a site owner.
PHOTO HUGO-SÉBASTIEN AUBERT, LA PRESSE ARCHIVES
Dropping your water bottle on someone’s head downstairs can happen. It is better to have liability insurance.
… and personal insurance
The last part of the campaign concerns personal insurance: outdoor enthusiasts should check whether they are really covered by civil liability insurance.
“We wanted to make people understand that if they cause a problem, they can be prosecuted,” says Annick St-Denis.
Because yes, dropping a piece of climbing equipment on someone who is at the bottom of a wall is something that happens…
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