Alcohol warning after woman’s boating death

Police have issued a warning to the public that alcohol and boating do not mix and can be just as dangerous as drinking and driving, this after a women lost her life in Sydney Harbour after falling off a boat.

The women went missing the night before when she fell off the boat she and her family had recently obtained. She went missing around midnight but her husband notified the police around 2 hours later and the woman’s body was found at Rose Bay in the morning. Police said alcohol may have played a part in her falling overboard.

Abc.net.au had this to say about the tragedy:

The 49-year-old from Sydney’s north was with her husband and two children on a 40-foot cruiser moored at Vaucluse in the city’s east.

Police say her husband went to bed about midnight but raised the alarm two hours later when he could not find her on the deck.

The woman’s body was found about 6:15am (AEDT) after a search involving police marine rescue and the Westpac helicopter.

Detective Inspector Darren Schott says police believe the woman had been drinking.

“I just want to remind everyone that boating and alcohol do not mix,” he said.

“The water is a dangerous environment and if you are going to go boating, please watch your alcohol intake.”

Police believe the family had been in the area to watch the New Year’s Eve fireworks.

Inspector Schott says it is a popular spot.

“We’d like any witnesses or anyone who saw or heard anything – there were some boats anchored in the area at the time – to come forward and assist us,” he said.

Source: http://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-12-31/woman-missing-from-boat-in-sydney-harbour/4447950

Drinking and boating or any other water activity is a dangerous activity. Even going swimming after consuming large amounts of liquor is not a good idea.

There has been substantial research which suggests that almost 30 per cent of drowning deaths in NSW are attributed to alcohol. Because most people in the area tend to gather around water to relax and catch up with family and friends, it increases their risk of drowning due to being intoxicated.

Most people incorrectly believe that one or two drinks are fine, and that they can still safely get back into the water. Unfortunately alcohol’s effect on the body makes people unable to safely swim once intoxicated. Consumption of alcohol can drastically impair reaction times of swimmers and impair their judgement. It also inhibits their ability to coordinate their movements and inhibits balance.

Perhaps the most dangerous is the sense of wellbeing that alcohol induces, which although meant to relax a person, can also be detrimental if they are not cautious enough when swimming. Drinking before swimming can cause hypothermia which in turn can lead to the constricting of the windpipe and subsequent drowning.