More fishermen on P.E.I. plan to wear personal flotation devices

Some Prince Edward Islandfishermen say after the tragic deaths of GlenDesRochesand MoeGetson, they plan to start wearing life vests on board their boats.

Earl Gavin said heplansto wear a personal flotation device when he goes out on the water.

"It'd be no harm to have life jackets on," Gavin said."I don't now wear one aboard the boat. But we should."

The Workers Compensation Board of P.E.I. saidit's been getting more calls from fishermen wondering where to buy the right life vestand how to encourage others to wear them.

'Change the culture'

The Transportation Safety Board is still working on its investigation into what causedDesRoches' boat to capsize off North Cape.

It confirmed toCBC Monday that neitherDesRochesnorGetsonwerewearing a life vest.

Danny Miller,director of occupational health and safety with the Workers Compensation Board of P.E.I., saidit's mandatory for fishermen to wear a personal flotation device while out on the water.

That law's largely not understood, Miller said,and is difficult to enforce.

"Fishermen have not been wearing theirPFDs, so it's going to take some time to change the culture," said Miller.

"Part of it is probably just the attitude, 'That's not going to happen to me'.And number two, the big complaint we hear from people is thatPFDsare uncomfortable to work in."

Miller said the latteris amyth theWCBis trying to combat.

'It only takes a few seconds'

WCBboard members have gone to fishermen's meetings andthe wharf over the past year to show off newer life vests which are more comfortable and less cumbersome, Miller said.

Ricky Brennan, who fishes out ofSeacowPond, says he sees the benefits of wearing a PFD.

"You always think after a tragedy happens, what can you do to prevent it? It's hard to say how they could've prevented it," he said.

"But safety goes a long way. And it only takes a few seconds for anything to happen, to fall over. But once you go over, these little vests, they inflate right quick, and you stand a chance, a very good chance."

Miller says that change in attitude isa positive sign, but there's still a long way to go.

"It could be the difference between surviving some kind of incident on the water, and not," Miller said.

"We're hoping over time, fishermen agree to that principle, and they're wearing it because it's the right thing to do, and the safe thing to do, and not so much that someone's watching."

They are also planning a formalcampaignto educate fishermen about the importance of wearing life vestssimilar to one Nova Scotia's had in place for a couple of years.

More P.E.I. news