LOCALS strolling on the Toronto park foreshore on Sunday morning did a double take as they spotted sailors splashing around in life jackets and life rafts and activating flares inside Toronto baths.
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It was all part of a sea safety and survival course hosted by Royal Motor Yacht Club, Toronto.
Participants learned how to be safe at sea and how to survive in the water in perilous conditions.
Tom Nelson, the captain of the club’s yacht cruising section, said the course involved six hours of theory on Saturday, and practical exercises in the water on Sunday.
‘’Everyone who gets into a boat could possibly find themselves in a life-threatening situation,” he said.
And a real life emergency at sea, or on the lake, was not the ideal time for a person in danger to have their first experience in handling a life jacket, or personal flotation device (PFD).
''While all boaters must carry safety gear, most never get the chance to use their PFDs, life rafts and flares," Mr Nelson said.
''Being familiar with the equipment and having practical use of it gave these students a much higher competency and also confidence to be safe at sea.''
Mr Nelson is a master 3 and Yachting Australia-certified instructor.
He was assisted by instructors from discoversailingschool.com, a local boat sailing school.