Summer safety on the minds of Blackmore and Sask. RCMP

With summer weather hitting in full force this week, safety is on the mind of the Saskatchewan RCMP.

The RCMP has been busy stepping up safety-related enforcement aimed at impaired drivers and water safety in the wake of several highway and water fatalities. Among them was the death of a Vancouver man on Tuesday on Highway 13.

“It’s been really busy. Unfortunately, we’ve seen fatalities in various areas, some on our highways, some in our lakes,” RCMP Assistant Commissioner Rhonda Blackmore said during an appearance on the Evan Bray Show on Thursday.

There have been three fatal water-related fatalities in the past two weeks, and Blackmore admitted those cases are particularly tough on RCMP officers.

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“Our underwater recovery team, when they are being called out it’s not for a good ending,” said Blackmore. “They’re looking to recover a body which, I suppose, gives some closure to family.”

They’ve been busy. At one point, Blackmore said the team had five calls in 36 hours.

Blackmore said it was hard work and not like going into a pool, as the underwater team deals with weeds and other difficulties. And often they are away from home for days at a time.

Blackmore said those teams constantly remind her to tell people about water safety. She reminded people to always use personal flotation devices.

“PFDs save lives,” said Blackmore. “They prevent drowning… if you are weak or a non-swimmer, always have a PFD on, but it’s always a good idea to have those PFDs on whenever you’re out in the water.”

The RCMP commander said officers are also working to enforce the laws on the water this summer. She said officers have watercraft available to do preventative patrols.

She said they’ll be looking for impaired drivers on the water.

“The fact is you cannot be impaired when operating a boat,” Blackmore said.

“That’s impaired driving, the same as driving a car or a vehicle on a highway impaired. So we’re out looking for those type of concerns, infractions and trying to keep people safe because none of us want to recover someone who’s drowned. We want to prevent that from happening.”

With the Country Thunder music festival on this week, thousands are expected to descend on Craven for the festivities, with organizers putting in their own precautions to keep people safe.

The RCMP is also out in full force doing enforcement at the festival. Blackmore said the RCMP has been busy doing checkstops on Highway 11 this week.

“We’re out on the highways as people gravitate towards Craven, towards that event,” said Blackmore.

In addition to making sure people are sober behind the wheel (or the tiller), RCMP officers are also keeping an eye on trailers. Blackmore said it’s important to make sure trailers are roadworthy, the tires are roadworthy, and that they are hitched properly.

“Those trailers may not have been looked at for a year, sometimes more,” said Blackmore. “Our traffic services members are out there looking for that at different locations and running checkstops.”

Just at one checkstop, she said, the RCMP issued 75 tickets and 97 warnings. There were also suspensions for alcohol and cannabis impairment.

Blackmore said full stats for all the enforcement activity will be released next week, but in the meantime people can to see the RCMP out and about enforcing the law throughout the weekend.