Boating

Many citizens own various watercraft (boats, jet skis, motorboats, etc.), while others use rented ones. In any case, water recreation enthusiasts must remember that riding on any watercraft requires strict adherence to safety rules during their operation, violations of which may lead to irreparable consequences:

On May 18, 2021, a 61-year-old man with two Minsk residents aged 23 and 50 went out on a motorboat in the waters of Lake Narach. Being more than 2 km from the shoreline, the vessel began to sink, and the three men ended up in the water. At the time of the rescuers' arrival, only the 50-year-old man was holding onto the sunken boat; he was hospitalized. The others were retrieved from the water without signs of life. It was later revealed that the watercraft lacked a stern buoy, which prevented it from staying afloat in case of water ingress.

On May 19, 2021, on the Western Dvina River in Verkhnedvinsk, a boat capsized with three people on board. A 46-year-old resident of Verkhnedvinsk and a 59-year-old woman from Miory were swept away by the current, while the third person managed to escape from the water and fled. Rescuers found the victims 200 meters from the shore. They were pulled from the water and taken to shore. The rescued individuals were hospitalized for hypothermia.

On July 16, 2021, the Ministry of Emergency Situations received a report that in the Rogachev district, on Lake "Svyatoe," a recreational motorboat had capsized, and 15 people were in the water, requesting assistance. It turned out that during their leisure time, a group of 14 people had gone for a boat ride. During the journey, the boat tilted beyond critical limits, resulting in the boat capsizing. Only 8 life jackets and 2 lifebuoys were available on the boat. At the time of capsizing, three children were wearing life jackets. The man operating the boat fled the scene of the incident.