With the acquisition of a new boat, Vernon RCMP will once again extend the long arm of the law onto area lakes. Cpl. Henry Proce, 
RCMP spokesperson, said the emphasis of the renewed lake patrol will be on boater safety, including the safety of the RCMP themselves. This will be the first summer since the drowning death of Cpl. Jean Minguy in June 2005 that RCMP will have a regular presence on the water. Cpl. Minguy drowned when he fell out of the RCMP‘s old Zodiac-style boat while making a turn. Witnesses say that Minguy, who was wearing body armour as well as his duty belt and boots, was not wearing a life jacket. “Technically we‘re supposed to be out there equipped as if we‘re on foot patrol or in the car,” said Proce. Although RCMP officers will still wear their heavy gear while aboard the new boat, Proce said that police will now wear their life jackets at all times when on the water. Proce believes that the new life jacket regulations being used in Vernon will soon be a nation wide requirement for the RCMP. Another new safety requirement for officers operating in the new boat is there must always be two officers on board. “If there would have been two people on board, the tragedy could have been prevented,” said Proce, referring to Minguy‘s death. On the first run of the year, Minguy was alone in the boat when he went overboard. The new boat, an 18-foot Zodiac, similar in design to the old one, will be housed at a towing lot in the downtown area and should require less time to respond to calls than the old boat, which was housed in the RCMP compound, Proce said. The purpose of the lake patrol, which will cover the north end of Okanagan Lake, Kalamalka Lake and Mabel Lake, will be to ensure that boaters are behaving responsibly, Proce said. “We‘ll be looking for unsafe boating, impaired operation of boats, as well as making sure that the proper safety equipment is on board,” said Proce.
RCMP spokesperson, said the emphasis of the renewed lake patrol will be on boater safety, including the safety of the RCMP themselves. This will be the first summer since the drowning death of Cpl. Jean Minguy in June 2005 that RCMP will have a regular presence on the water. Cpl. Minguy drowned when he fell out of the RCMP‘s old Zodiac-style boat while making a turn. Witnesses say that Minguy, who was wearing body armour as well as his duty belt and boots, was not wearing a life jacket. “Technically we‘re supposed to be out there equipped as if we‘re on foot patrol or in the car,” said Proce. Although RCMP officers will still wear their heavy gear while aboard the new boat, Proce said that police will now wear their life jackets at all times when on the water. Proce believes that the new life jacket regulations being used in Vernon will soon be a nation wide requirement for the RCMP. Another new safety requirement for officers operating in the new boat is there must always be two officers on board. “If there would have been two people on board, the tragedy could have been prevented,” said Proce, referring to Minguy‘s death. On the first run of the year, Minguy was alone in the boat when he went overboard. The new boat, an 18-foot Zodiac, similar in design to the old one, will be housed at a towing lot in the downtown area and should require less time to respond to calls than the old boat, which was housed in the RCMP compound, Proce said. The purpose of the lake patrol, which will cover the north end of Okanagan Lake, Kalamalka Lake and Mabel Lake, will be to ensure that boaters are behaving responsibly, Proce said. “We‘ll be looking for unsafe boating, impaired operation of boats, as well as making sure that the proper safety equipment is on board,” said Proce. 
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