Swamped boats prompt call for better speed enforcement on Rideau Canal
Some recreational paddlers who use the Rideau Canal are calling for better patrols of the waterway after close calls with larger, faster moving vessels that literally left them in their wake.
Kayaks, canoes and stand-up paddle boards are especially vulnerable, with water running up the sides of the canal’s concrete walls and then crashing into the small vessels.
It’s happened at least three times in the last week alone, according to witnesses.
On Sunday, David Giannandrea was biking towards Dow’s Lake along the water when he saw a boat speeding towards downtown.
“I noticed the water was very rough. Moments later, I came across two kayakers in the water. They were floating in their life jackets,” he said. “Their tandem kayak was mostly full of water, but still floating. They said the wake from the larger boat flooded their kayak and they flipped.”