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Theresa's Tidbits: Incidents show common sense still in short supply
Theresa Seraphim
for Spotlight
Two recent tragedies have made me shake my head, for one reason: both were avoidable.
On Mar. 13, snowmobile riders at the Big Iron Shootout on a mountain near Revelstoke, B.C., got caught in an avalanche.
News reports said it was triggered when one participant did some high marking, which involves riding a snowmobile as far as possible up a mountain before coming back down, triggering the pile of snow which killed two people and injured 30 others.
This happened despite the fact the Canadian Avalanche Centre had repeatedly warned, in the preceding weeks, that there was what it called “considerable risk” of an avalanche.
The sensible thing, in this case, would have been to postpone or cancel the event.
Yes, it undoubtedly would have meant the organizer(s) would lose money – but at least everyone would still be alive.
The vast majority of snowmobilers ply their sport in very safe ways.
Unfortunately, it doesn’t take much to prompt a tragedy to happen.
We also saw this the day after the avalanche, when the St. Patrick’s Day parade in Montreal was cut short.
A 20-year-old man and a friend had jumped onto a float, then (a few blocks later) jumped off.
The 20-year-old was killed when he fell under the wheels of the float.
The float riders, and the driver, were (quite understandably) shaken up.
According to news reports – you guessed it – alcohol was involved.
In a way, one can’t blame the young guy, when parade spectators are allowed to drink beer and other sources of alcohol all along the route. He obviously wasn’t the only one imbibing.
But the much-too-early end to his life shows the heartbreak that can ensue when alcohol and daredevil antics get mixed.
To the parade organizers: Please ban alcohol among spectators. It’s not worth the possibility of losing another life because of this rather bad example of behaviour.
To all youth and other risk-takers: Please don’t mix any activity with alcohol, or do anything else that could, or will, involve gambling with your life. Enjoy yourselves, by all means – but please remember, YOU ARE NOT INVINCIBLE.
We know you don’t want to get hurt or die. We don’t want that, either. We want you around for another sixty years or so, so that you can tell all those fun stories to your grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
For everyone’s sake – but especially yours – take care out there.
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