Five people died and two are missing after a canoe sank in the Daule River on December 25. The tragedy for families who have lost one or more of their members is evidence of one of the repeated failures in different areas of the rural sector of Ecuador.

Who controls the condition of boats and canoes that navigate rural rivers? Witnesses claim that the damaged boat had capacity for eight people, but 25 of them could travel from the Pula complex to Puerto Lucía (Daula).

Five bodies were found in the Daule River after a canoe sank

Survivors also reported going out at night or not realizing the canoe had a hole that let water in until it sank.

None of them talked about life jackets because they don’t know them, like in many rural areas.

The misfortune of these families who were celebrating Christmas could have been avoided by the ferocity of those who offer river services in these areas, ‘no place’ at least stopped the excess weight.

The lack of controls also weighs, because if the canoe is indeed damaged, it should never have been put into use; the use of life jackets should be mandatory. Who is responsible for approving these vessels in rural areas?

On the other hand, the conscience of canoeists and users must prevail, so that they do not expose their lives and the lives of others.

The rains are already intense in some provinces of Ecuador and there are floods in rural rivers. What happened in Daule should be taken as a warning to inspect the condition of the canoes and boats.

In no way should any population be left without transportation, but there is an urgent need for the authorities to promote and monitor responsible and safe transportation.

Just as we demand good land transport service, we must raise our voices and demand that our rivers, farmers and residents have boats in condition to travel, especially when roads are still lacking in parts of the country. (OR)