Vernon RCMP checking boaters, handing out tickets on Kal Lake

Vernon RCMP officers handed out four tickets yesterday while checking boaters on Kalamalka Lake.

Vernon North Okanagan RCMP said in a social media post that its officers checked seven boats on the lake yesterday, Aug. 3, and found less than half were compliant with boating regulations.

One boat received a ticket for a safety violation, while three warnings were issued for non-safety-related violations. Three boats were found to be compliant.

"We want everyone using the water to have fun and be safe," the RCMP said in the post.

A 2021 report from the B.C. Conservation Officer Service found the vast majority of people on the water in the North Okanagan and Shuswap last summer were breaking the rules.

The report said that 80 per cent of vessels checked in 2021 were non-compliant, an increase from 2020 when 66 per cent were found to be non-compliant.

For more information about boating rules check out the Transport Canada Safe Boating Guide here.

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