Wind blows many people on inflatables towards Vancouver fireworks barge
On Saturday night, hundreds of thousands of people watched the final show of the 2023 Honda Celebration of Light fireworks from English Bay Beach and other West End waterfront areas.
While the fireworks are, of course, always the centre of attention, it was hard not to miss a strange pandemonium in the water of dozens of small paddle boats suddenly quickly moving en masse towards the fireworks barge, with their occupants finding themselves in a dangerous predicament.
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It was a very unusual sight; the area of water between the offshore barge and English Bay Beach is usually kept completely clear as part of the fallout safety exclusionary zone that radiates outward from the barge.
ā Normal view from English Bay Beach:
Team Mexico’s fireworks show on July 26, 2023. (Gabriel Lam/Meimento)
ā Not a normal view from English Bay Beach:
Dozens of inflatables blown by wind float into the fireworks fallout exclusionary zone between the fireworks barge and English Bay Beach on July 29, 2023. (Kenneth Chan/Daily Hive)
About 10 minutes into the 25-minute fireworks show, the small boats entered the direct line of sight of anyone watching the fireworks from English Bay Beach. At least half a dozen motorized patrol boats with the Vancouver Police Department’s (VPD) Marine Unit were subsequently seen rushing to the area in response to the intrusion.
The small paddle boats remained within the area in very close proximity to the barge through the end of the fireworks show.
But according to the VPD, this was completely accidental — there was nothing nefarious about the incident.
Dozens of inflatables blown by wind float into the fireworks fallout exclusionary zone between the fireworks barge and English Bay Beach on July 29, 2023. (Kenneth Chan/Daily Hive)
VPD Sergeant Steve Addison told Daily Hive these small boats were lightweight inflatables that were blown into the exclusion zone by wind in the middle of the show.
“They were all very cooperative when members of our Marine Squad redirected them, but due to some inexperience, the wind, and the very flimsy nature of their inflatables, quite a few had difficulty maneuvering in the open water,” he said.
Minutes prior to the 10 pm start of the fireworks, these inflatables were seen clustered off the shoreline of the south end of English Bay Beach, near the Inukshuk, just outside the exclusionary zone in compliance with the regulations. During the fireworks show, they floated northwest into the exclusionary zone — coming very close to the barge.
But this was not the only intrusion incident of the evening. Earlier at about 7:40 pm, an illegal drone flight in the area briefly delayed the start of the pre-fireworks entertainment, the Red Bull Air Show over English Bay.
Dozens of inflatables in compliance with the fallout exclusionary boundary, just minutes before the start of the fireworks on July 29, 2023. (Kenneth Chan/Daily Hive)
Dozens of inflatables blown by wind float into the fireworks fallout exclusionary zone between the fireworks barge and English Bay Beach on July 29, 2023. (Kenneth Chan/Daily Hive)
For each night of the Honda Celebration of Light, there are typically approximately 1,000 recreational boaters out in the water to enjoy the fireworks.
To keep boats and beachgoers safe, a 1,200 ft (366 metre) radius fallout exclusion zone extending from the fireworks barge is marked by buoys and patrolled by the VPD Marine Unit.
Any paddlers on canoes, kayaks, and paddle boards must ensure they are visible at night by carrying a bright flashlight.
Recreational boats are required to display navigation lights after sunset, and an anchor light while anchored around the fireworks barge. The maximum speed for boats in the area during fireworks nights is five knots.
Team Philippines, represented by Blue Peacock Fireworks, was responsible for last night’s fireworks show in Vancouver’s 31st annual international fireworks competition. The first two nights on July 22 and 26 were staged by Team Australia (Howard & Sons Pyrotechnics) and Team Mexico (Grupo Avacon), respectively. The winning team will be announced this Monday, July 31.
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