Missing Boats On The River?!?!?!?!?!

    With all of the rain bringing high water levels it's important to keep SAFE. We are all between swims so it can happen to anyone, at any time. When swims happen boats can sometimes go off on an adventure of its own. Sometimes the boats are never to be seen again. Claimed by the River Gods. Either way, that situation is going to suck! No boat, though walk out and then having to deal with claiming off your insurance.
Ever wondered what happens when the boat tur up in a random place?
Neither had I.
 
So, I found out from my friendly local shop and their contacts. Kent Canoes.
 
 
    When a boat is found by any sort of emergency services a search will be started. This could be via social media or actually getting hands-on and doing a full search. This all depends on the type of boat, the environment it was found in and the time of year. So if they find a touring boat on a canal they probably won't go looking for a body. However, if they find a creek boat at the bottom of a grade 4/5 river they will make the assumption that something has happened to the paddler and they are potentially dead. 

What can you do to help?


    To help the situation there are a few things we as paddlers can do. Firstly, if you do lose a boat and can't find or retrieve it let the Police aware. Give them as much detail on the boat as you can. Colour, size any definitive features such as things that might be clipped inside the boat. On top of this, you can also leave your contact information inside the boat. This also improves your chances of being reunited with your much-loved plastic tub. All decent canoe shops will have free stickers for you. These stickers go inside of your boat somewhere easily visible. Pop down your name and number on the sticker and Bob's your uncle. Your boat now has all of your contact details in. This just means if your boat shows up somewhere, is found by the emergency services, they can give you a call. You can tell them the classic tale of your antics from the day and how you're sat at home next to the fire alive and well. Everyones a winner. 
Sticker from good canoe retailers.
     If you don't have a local canoe shop or if your local shop hasn't got any stickers left you can get them free from the government. Click me to go to the Gov.uk website to get your boat identity sticker. 
 
Hopefully, none of us will ever need to deal with this situation. But it's better to be proactive than reactive! 

Stay safe and catch you on the water!

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