A jacket for life

Last week, we heard about yet another tragedy on the high seas, or rather not very far from the shore. At least three people died when their boat provided by the Navy capsized in the seas off Kirinda. Some of the seven passengers were rescued.

This is not the first time that such a tragedy occurred. And unless and until we take certain basic steps, such tragic incidents will happen. The truth is that boat accidents happen regularly in this country, in inland water reservoirs as well as in the open sea.

There are several factors that lead to such accidents. The first is that some boat operators take to the seas in rough weather or choppy seas. This makes it difficult to navigate a boat through treacherous waters, Indeed, there have been many incidents where fishermen have perished as a result of venturing to the sea in bad weather. True, many seasoned boat operators have an innate ability to 'read' the weather, but their belief that they can somehow prevail over the dark clouds and choppy waves sometimes leads to fatalities.

Another factor is that some of the boats are simply not in a sound mechanical condition. They cannot withstand a very rough ride. Moreover, many boat operators have a propensity to overload their crumbling boats, which may spell doom for the passengers. We have often heard about overloaded ferries capsizing in other countries, but there are no such large-scale ferries in our country. Nevertheless, we have seen many instances of overloading of pleasure boats in tourist spots such as Hikkaduwa. One may consider overloading a malady that is also common to land transport - three-wheelers and private buses are ideal examples. But overloading takes another far more dangerous dimension in the water, because there is usually no way out.

But the biggest reason for deaths on our waterways and the high seas is the almost complete lack of safety procedures and equipment. The lack of flotation devices - especially lifejackets - is worrying to say the least. There is no doubt about it - lifejackets can save lives. All you have got to is wear one before embarking on a boat voyage and should the worst happen, it will keep you afloat until help arrives.

This is a standard practice in most countries. Pleasure and small passenger boat operators must follow several simple but strict rules: They cannot take to the seas in bad weather; they cannot overload and must adhere strictly to the passenger numbers specified by the boat manufacturer; the boats must be mechanically sound; lifejackets must be provided to all passengers, who are required to wear them before embarkation. Children too have to be provided child-size lifejackets. It is also required to carry other flotation devices on board, such as an inflated wheel, dinghy and air mattress. The boat operators should also have emergency radio communications facilities, a homing beacon as well as a visual device, such as flares to attract attention in an emergency.

In bigger passenger boats and cruise liners where it would be impractical to always wear a lifejacket, a lifejacket drill must be conducted before sailing and quick access to lifejackets (and lifeboats) must be provided in an emergency.

This writer has written on the need for lifejackets on several previous occasions as well. With this latest tragedy, the time has indeed come to make them mandatory on pleasure boats, along with at least one other flotation device. In other words, new laws should be passed to make lifejackets compulsory on board pleasure boats, inland waterways or sea-bound. This is not an impossible task - on a recent trip to Trincomalee's Pigeon Island, this writer was pleasantly surprised when the boat operator handed out lifejackets. They were not in the best condition, but the intention was laudable enough. If a few boat operators can provide life jackets on their own without any compulsion to do so, it would not be impossible to effect the same islandwide through legal means. There are precedents for such effective laws - the helmet law instantly comes to mind. Today, no motorcyclist dares to ride without a helmet on. Even more than the prospect of getting fined by Police or a court of law, the riders are by now well aware of the life-saving benefits of strapping on a helmet. It has become second nature to regular motorcyclists to don a helmet. Over the years, this simple law has saved countless lives and it will continue to do so. A crash helmet, as the name implies, can save lives in a crash. Likewise, lifejackets save lives in water accidents. Making them compulsory will no doubt save many more lives in the future.

Of course, the authorities will have to consider the financial implications of such a legal measure. The Government could perhaps subsidise the purchase of lifejackets by boat operators and a local company or two could be given a contract to manufacture high quality lifejackets, thus saving foreign exchange.

The concept of lifeguards has also not caught on here except at swimming pools of star class hotels. In many countries, beaches and shallow sea waters are regularly patrolled by trained lifeguards who risk their lives every day to save those of others. Moreover, `dangerous' beaches or seas (sharks, jellyfish, rough weather and deep waters) are clearly marked and bathers and boaters are instructed to keep away. There is no such system here, although bathing is periodically prohibited in many inland reservoirs.

It is time that lifeguards are gradually introduced to our beaches. There are many steps that can and should be taken to ensure safety at sea. The primary responsibility still lies with those who risk these journeys, sometimes knowing all the risks involved. It is prudent to question the wisdom of a boat owner who tries to overload a rickety boat - after all, lives are at stake. It does not hurt to ask whether he has lifejackets on board. These are simple things that can save lives. The next step is making such steps mandatory by law and there will be widespread support for such a move. We have lost enough lives on the high seas and it is time to put a `full stop'.