Nature's Path: Plan to stay safe in and around water

Soapbox please. I am about to preach my annual sermon on water safety.

Thousands of times, I have gushed with pride while spouting off about the abundance of water recreation that our great state offers. As “Fanfare for the Common Man” plays inside my head, I think of all Minnesotans, rural, urban, wealthy and not wealthy, having access to water recreation.

From the daring surfers in Lake Superior, to the tiny toddlers enjoying a sprinkler run, we have access to that magic mixture of hydrogen and oxygen that offers fun and relief during our warm months.

Access to water comes with responsibility. Water safety is many things. It is wearing a personal flotation device (lifejacket) in boats and around water. It is learning to swim. It is learning safety skills to save yourself or another person. It is respecting the power of water with currents, cold temperatures and hidden obstacles. It takes many forms.

The cautionary tale of water safety that I have shared dozens, if not hundreds, of times involves a family outing several years ago.

When our kids were young, they always asked what I wanted to do for Mother’s Day. My annual reply? I’d like to go fishing. While I do not have a passion for fishing, the dad in this story does, and I always enjoy any excuse to be outdoors, especially on the water.

In those days, our family boat was a canoe. It was a beautiful Mother’s Day that year. It was sunny, cool and calm on Hansen Lake as we slid our canoe into the water. We paddled not too far from shore to the perfect fishing spot and rigged up for adventure.

Our anxious 8-year-old daughter was nervous in the long boat that rocked too much for her comfort. “Stop moving. Stop leaning over. Stop making the boat move,” she requested of no one in particular. With each worry, I reassured her that canoes are quite stable and do not tip easily.

Luckily, the angler-in-chief in our house is adamant about safety in a vessel, insisting that everyone wear a lifejacket, securely snapped in place. He also insists that tackle boxes be closed and locked at all times unless you are getting a lure, line or other equipment. While this seemed somewhat arcane, I followed the rules to set a good example.

Then, it happened quickly, as most mishaps do. Our son reached his fishing rod over his head to cast, bumping my face and knocking my new eyeglasses into the water. As I gasped, “my new glasses,” the captain instinctively leaned over to grab them.

You guessed it. As we all leaned the same direction at one time, the canoe instantly rolled over and plunged us into the cool water.

When worn properly, lifejackets work. We all floated in the water. Tackleboxes, all neatly closed and locked, bobbed in the water next to us.

The captain held up his hand to reveal the catch of the day — my eyeglasses. We then rolled the canoe over and the kids climbed into their seats. As we swam about collecting the floating tackleboxes and paddles to plop into the swamped canoe, the whole scene struck me as comical. I laughed out loud as we pushed the canoe to the nearby shore. Our daughter, no longer worried about what might happen if we tipped, also began to see the humor of our situation.

As an added safety measure, we always packed towels and spare clothes in the car, and we were quickly dry and warm.

This is my favorite Mother’s Day story to tell, and my kids remember the event well.

Now comes the moral of the story. We all laugh about our Mother’s Day adventure today because it had a safe ending. I have never since questioned the tacklebox rule, and wearing a lifejacket is a must for everyone in the boat. The lake water in May is cold, and the story could have ended on a sad note had we not been prepared. There is often not time to react during a situation. The lifejackets kept us afloat and allowed us to focus on gathering gear and quickly getting to shore. The towels and clothes helped assure that hypothermia was not part of the story.

We continued to have great canoe adventures as a family, including stormy trips in the Boundary Waters. No one in the family questioned the safety rules on those trips.

Water brings fun recreation and relaxation opportunities, and it also brings hazards. As I tell my Mother’s Day canoe story, I find that many people have their own water safety story to tell.

The common moral of these stories is to plan ahead, be prepared, be safe and respect the water at all times.

Ruth Reeves, a former journalist, naturalist and community ed director, lives in rural Carlton County and enjoys outdoor adventures in all seasons with her husband, Keith. She finds that one good adventure leads to another. Email Ruth at [email protected]