The preventable and unfortunate probable drowning of two young men from our community points to the crucial need to always respect the ocean.
Members of the coast guard auxiliary, in Sooke it is Station #37, are routinely called out to rescue people who have not paid heed to the rules of the sea. It doesn’t matter what the weather is like or what’s happening at home, they head to the dock and onto the water to help others.
The naive people who go out in overloaded boats, without life jackets and without any type of knowledge about what the seas can throw at them put more than their own lives at risk. They put themselves in peril as well as those who come out to help.
The sea is a wicked authority and the rules for surviving on it are actually pretty simple. Have proper life jackets, watch the weather, know your boat and the tides. What else is crucial is to know that alcohol, boats and water do not mix. Most savvy mariners drink only once they are moored safe and sound for the day, if at all. There are too many variables on the water and as a mariner one has to be attuned to what can happen and be prepared for every eventuality. It’s simple and it’s a life saver.
Our sympathies go out to the families of Morgan Porter and John Elgin. It is a difficult and sorrowful time and the hearts of all of Sooke go out to them.