Show some respect, stay off the lakes!

We have all been impacted in some ways by the events of the past 18-plus months, be it COVID-19 or watching our beautiful province go up in smoke.

We have tried our best to follow directives from the medical professionals, but there are still a group of non-believers who think that the pandemic is nothing but a government hoax. (I can’t figure out the connection there.)

Then there are the yahoos who are enjoying our lakes while our firefighting aircraft try to do their jobs by getting water for the fires from said lakes.

As I live very near to Okanagan Lake, my house was in the path of the skimmers as they started their descent into the lake.

When I heard about the jet skiers who were impeding the planes trying to scoop up the water, I couldn’t believe that there are such stupid, idiotic, self-centered, dumb asses out there!

Honestly.

I wish there could be a siren or alarm system to alert boaters to the impending danger, at which time they would be required to get off the lake immediately.

Any violators should be heavily fined and have their watercraft “beached.” When you are surrounded by fires and smoke, you should be aware that there will be aircraft fighting these fires so, for Pete’s sake, get out of the way.

The stupidity and selfishness of these people goes beyond my comprehension and they shouldn’t be allowed to get away with it.

Kudos to our forest firefighters, whether they’re in the air or on the ground.

Mavis Creech Penticton