Simsbury FD: Tag Boats To Avoid Unnecessary Searches

SIMSBURY, CT — When a canoe or kayak tears loose and flows down a river or lake without a person, it must always be assumed to be an emergency.

But often, it's just an accident and, while accidents happen, the situation can frustrate emergency responders trained to find paddlers in distress.

According to the Simsbury Volunteer Fire Co., this has happened twice in the past two months, where unattended watercraft were reported on the Farmington River.

"Both instances involved a canoe/kayak stuck in the middle of the river with no obvious signs of an occupant or paddler," wrote the Simsbury fire department.

That's why the SVFO recently urged canoeists and kayakers to use identification stickers provided by the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection.

The stickers are free and they allow an owner to put names, addresses and contact information on their boats/canoes/kayaks.

Then, should something happen and a watercraft get loose, the authorities can just make contact to ensure it simply got loose and is not an accident where a boater is missing.

Without such stickers, responders have to assume someone is missing and must engage in a lengthy search for the missing boatsman, something that — if a false alarm — could jeopardize those involved in other emergencies.

Recent heavy rains this summer have made rivers and streams more treacherous to boaters and have washed away unattended watercraft.

To obtain free stickers for your watercraft, click on this link.