Boater safety concerns raised following death of 10-year-old in B.C. waters

Courtney Dickson · CBC News

· Posted: Jun 09, 2025 8:25 PM EDT | Last Updated: 23 minutes ago

Advocates are expressing interest astir boater information successful B.C.'s Lower Mainland pursuing the death of a 10-year-old successful North Vancouver connected Saturday evening. 

North Vancouver RCMP said a vessel was towing an inflatable conduit carrying 2 children erstwhile the conduit was deed by a speedboat conscionable earlier 6:30 p.m. PT connected June 7. One kid died astatine the scene, and the different was airlifted to infirmary successful superior condition. 

The operator of the speedboat, a North Vancouver man, was taken into custody, constabulary said. The antheral has not been named by constabulary arsenic of Monday afternoon.

North Vancouver RCMP said Sunday that intoxicant and velocity whitethorn person been factors successful the crash.

WATCH | Child dormant pursuing boating mishap successful North Vancouver:

Bruce Hayne, enforcement manager of the Boating B.C. Association, said the rules are wide erstwhile it comes to intoxicant connected boats. 

"A emblematic time boat, a bowrider oregon a pontoon boat, boats that radical would beryllium astir acquainted with for time trips, intoxicant is not allowed to beryllium unfastened and connected board," helium told CBC's The Early Edition. 

But radical inactive bash it.

"We truly person stressed implicit and implicit again that intoxicant and boating is simply a atrocious mix," Hayne said. "Leave that for the dock."

Transport Canada's safe boating guide says boating portion nether the power of drugs oregon intoxicant is illegal.

It advises boaters to run astatine a "safe speed," which tin alteration depending connected the location. 

According to Transport Canada, boaters in Alberta, B.C., Manitoba, Ontario, Saskatchewan and Nova Scotia should observe the unposted velocity bounds of 10 km/h within 30 metres from shore, but wherever different limits are posted. 

Local residents accidental information concerns connected the h2o are not new. Mehdi Bahrami frequents the country and said he's seen speeding and reckless behaviour from immoderate boaters.

"They don't wage attention, they effort to amusement disconnected and velocity it up," helium said.

Education and enforcement

Hayne of Boating B.C. said contempt accusation being readily available, acquisition is captious to ensuring information connected the water. 

He said the advocacy relation is moving a run astir information and sharing waterways similar the ones successful North Vancouver. 

But helium said enforcement is conscionable arsenic important. 

Tsleil-Waututh Nation Chief Jen Thomas said the assemblage wants to spot much progressive enforcement astatine the vessel launch, peculiarly to guarantee radical are decently licensed and operating safely.

"This assemblage is lone increasing and that's each you spot is boats. So I would similar to spot much enforcement," she said. "It volition astir apt beryllium a engaged summer. And I truly anticipation radical deliberation astir what happened yesterday and instrumentality it to heart."

Ian Gilson with the Canadian Safe Boating Council said much enforcement is needed successful each jurisdictions, but successful his experience, marine information is archetypal to spell during policing fund cuts. 

"I've recovered implicit the years that erstwhile constabulary forces are asked to chopped backmost connected their budget, they thin to instrumentality it from the marine fund due to the fact that they privation to support their beingness connected the highways."

He said astir radical cognize the rules, but "throw caution to the wind" erstwhile they're retired connected the water. 

"They're retired determination recreating and saying, 'You cognize what? I've worked hard each week long. Now I tin get successful my speedboat and enactment the hammer down and conscionable transverse the water and past conscionable beryllium backmost and fto the upwind spell successful my hair.'" 

District of North Vancouver Mayor Mike Little said there's periodic enforcement successful the area. More predominant rule enforcement would necessitate a displacement successful the deployment of resources, helium said. 

"We're each nether unit [in] our constabulary departments to marque definite we person capable resources for the challenges successful our community, and we'd person to spot if that is simply a precedence with them," Little said. 

He encourages radical connected the h2o to interaction constabulary if they spot idiosyncratic operating a vessel recklessly.