* Guest blog by Canadian Red Crosser, Melanie Goodchild-Southwind
I don’t know about you but I know a lot of macho guys! I am a biker girl, ride a Harley and I work for the Red Cross. I love the summer. I like to ride hard and in between scoots on the iron pony I like to join my husband on the water in Lac Seul First Nation to catch some walleye. My husband is a former Chief, a bush worker, hunter and fisherman and it’s safe to say that he’s a wee bit on the macho side, tough and strong. However, if he’s unconscious that won’t matter when the water fills his lungs. 
In other words, he needs a Personal Flotation Device (PFD) and no amount of attitude is going to change that fact! It won’t work if you don’t wear it. Drowning is a leading cause of death in First Nations communities. Did you know that in some First Nations in Canada, the number of drownings is greater than the number of road traffic accidents when you include numbers involving snowmobile drownings?
Did you also know that at a national level, in 1996, Aboriginal people had a drowning rate 6 times higher than other Canadians? The leading causes of drowning are boating, aquatic activities such as swimming and wading, and falls into open water. These drowning patterns are the same for both the Aboriginal and Canadian populations. A majority of boating accidents occur during recreational boating when everyone is just out having fun. But the day could end in tragedy instead if you are too tough to wear a PFD!
So the next time you and your family hit the lake to catch yourself a good meal - mmmm I can hear the walleye frying in the pan - wear a lifejacket please!
Melanie says: while we love walleye we also catch Northern or Jackfish- wearing our PDFs not matter what fish joins us for the fun