Marine Recreation and Safety
Original Air Date: 5/27/2010
Boating season is here and the week of May 22nd is National Safe Boating Week. On average, two boaters are killed everyday on American waterways. That’s more than 700 per year. Thousands of others sustain injuries.
With a little bit of knowledge and practical judgment, many of these accidents can be avoided. Marine recreation and safety on this edition of Northwest Now.
Guests
Daniel Shipman, Recreational Boating Safety Program Manager
13th Coast Guard District
Retired after 23 years of service in the U.S. Coast Guard achieving the rank of
Master Chief Petty Officer, E-9. Served mostly in the Pacific Northwest as a Surfman
on Coastal Lifeboat Stations and was involved with search and rescue and maritime
law enforcement. Former instructor at the Coast Guard National Motor Lifeboat School
on the Columbia River and Officer in Charge of Stations Quillayute River, WA and
Tillamook Bay, Or. Currently working as the Recreational Boating Safety Program
Manager at the Coast Guards 13th District Office in Seattle.
For more information about the 13th Coast Guard District, visit: http://www.uscg.mil/d13/
Robert Goetz, Marine Law Enforcement Officer
Robert was a officer with the city of Everret for 19 years and has been a Marine Patrol Officer for 15 years. Currently, he supervises the Marine Law Enforcement unit for the city of Everret. He is also a Washington State Boating Law Enforcement Instructor for Washington State Parks and Recreation.
More Information
Boating Safety Tips from Washington State Parks and Recreation
- Always wear a lifejacket when boating. Besides their lifesaving flotation, life vests and float coats provide added insulation to protect against hypothermia, and they only work if boaters wear them. Life vests featuring mesh upper bodies, specifically designed for shouldering a gun, are available now.
- Limit the loads of people and equipment carried in boats. Overloaded boats are less maneuverable and more likely to become swamped or capsized.
- Limit movement and keep weight low to avoid capsizing or falling overboard. Take two trips if necessary to keep the weight in the boat low.
- In case of capsizing or swamping, you should stay with your boat. Even when filled with water, the boat will provide some flotation and is easier to see by potential rescuers.
- Dress for the water temperature, not the air temperature. Assess the wind and wave conditions to decide if you are prepared for potential cold-water conditions. Check weather forecasts before leaving home and be aware of changing conditions. And take along extra clothing for children - they get cold faster than adults.
- Don’t drink and boat: Alcohol affects both judgment and reactions, and its effects are more pronounced on the water.
- Be weather wise. Sudden wind shifts, lightning flashes and choppy water all can mean a storm is brewing.
- Bring your cell phone in a waterproof zip lock bag. If you have cell phone service, you can call for help without removing the phone from the bag.
- Take a boating safety course and receive your boating safety education card. The Mandatory Boater Safety Education law goes into effect on Jan. 1, 2008. The new law requires boaters ages 12 years and older to pass a boating safety course or an equivalency exam before operating a motorboat of 15 horsepower or greater. To find out more about the new law, visit http://www.parks.wa.gov/boating/boatered/.
- Be aware of tides. Becoming stuck or stranded in a mud flat can be a serious safety hazard.
For more information, visit: http://www.parks.wa.gov/boating/
Mandatory Boaters Education
In 2005, a law was passed requiring boat operators to take a boater safety education course in order to operate a boat in Washington state. The law applies to operators of motorboats with 15 horsepower or greater.
Boaters can take an education course in a classroom, online or at home. Once the course is completed and test passed, boaters need to send a completed application for their card. If boaters already have taken an approved boating class, they only need to send in their application with supporting documents to get a Boater Education Card.
To learn more, visit: http://www.parks.wa.gov/boating/boatered/
2008 Statistics from the U.S. Coast Guard
In 2008, the Coast Guard counted 4789 accidents that involved 709 deaths:
- 3331 injuries and approximately $54 million dollars of damage to property as a result of recreational boating accidents.
- Over two-thirds of all fatal boating accident victims drowned, and of those, ninety (90) percent were not wearing a life jacket.
- Only ten percent of deaths occurred on boats where the operator had received boating safety instruction.
- Seven out of every ten boaters who drowned were using boats less than 21 feet in length.
- Careless/reckless operation, operator inattention, no proper lookout, operator inexperience and passenger/skier behavior rank as the top five primary contributing factors in accidents.
- Alcohol use is the leading contributing factor in fatal boating accidents; it was listed as the leading factor in 17% of the deaths.
- Eleven children under age thirteen lost their lives while boating in 2008. 63% of the children who died in 2008 died from drowning.
- The most common types of vessels involved in reported accidents were open motorboats (43%), personal watercraft (23%), and cabin motorboats (15%).
- The 12,692,892 boats registered by the states in 2008 represent a 1.4%decrease from last year when 12,875,568 boats were registered.
For more statistics and information, please visit: http://www.uscgboating.org/
To learn more about the U.S. Coast Guard, visit: http://www.uscg.mil/
