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Mingan kayaker saved thanks to prevention project

A prevention project that began in 2001 has proven essential to the Mingan Archipelago area.

On Sept. 2, 2004, kayaker Ania Holub and her mother were paddling in the Mingan Archipelago when Ms. Holub lost control of her kayak and an open hatch began to fill with water. Located on the north shore of the Gulf of St. Lawrence, the area is very remote, the weather conditions can change very suddenly and the distance to rescue services can be extreme.

The winds were strong and waves were four metres high while Ms. Holub drifted away in the tidal currents, holding onto the submerged portion of her kayak.

She used her VHF radio to put in a distress call but was unable to provide details of her position. The Canadian Coast Guard and Parks Canada launched a search for her, relying on details from her mother, who had safely reached shore.

Before setting out, Ms. Holub and her mother had stopped and asked for kayaking advice, a service provided as part of the Organization for Prevention and Safety (OPS) - Sea Kayak project. They were given information about the hazards of marine navigation, given assistance with their itinerary and showed how to use the VHF radio in the event of an emergency.

Ms. Holub spent close to three hours in the water, but was rescued because she remembered being told that by turning on the VHF radio regularly, its signal would be picked up by communications towers which would then determine her position.

Had it not been for this prevention and awareness program, Ms. Holub would not have been found alive. Her battered kayak is now on display at the OPS - Sea Kayak project office to increase the awareness of kayak safety.

The first of its kind to operate in Québec, the Organization for Prevention and Safety - Sea Kayak project was sponsored by Parks Canada and funded by the New Search and Rescue Initiatives Fund. The goal is to create an educational program to enhance kayakers' knowledge of the marine environment and safe practices.

The Mingan Archipelago was seeing an increase in the number of incidents involving kayakers and a lack of educational tools and services. The awareness program included water safety signalization designed for kayakers to reduce the risk and severity of sea kayak incidents in remote areas. It also focused on improving the search and rescue response to such incidents.

Although weather plays a large factor in kayak incidents, reports produced by the Mingan Archipelago National Park Reserve show incidents are often caused by a lack of skill and knowledge of sea kayak safety and techniques.

Through this project, a safety and rescue training program for sea kayakers was developed, which included a video on safety and self-rescue, signalization panels that indicate the dangers of navigation, volunteer patrols and an information centre.

Since the project began, more than 1,650 kayakers have been advised about safe practices that should be used while paddling.

More information about the New SAR Initiatives Fund

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