Boaters…Save a Life – Yours! Education, Planning, Preparation, and Life Jackets Save Lives.

U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary
Public Affairs

PRESS RELEASE

Date: March 6, 2009

Contact: Anthony Turner
Public Affairs Officer
310-488-0723
anthony.j.turner@uscg.mil
http://www.news.auxpa.org/

Boaters…Save a Life – Yours!

Education, Planning, Preparation, and Life Jackets Save Lives.

The media has been saturated with the gripping story of four athletes who went fishing off Clearwater, Florida last week.  National Football League players Victor "Marquis" Cooper and Cory Smith along with former University of South Florida football players Will Bleakley and Nick Schuyler were thrown into the sea when their boat capsized.  Schuyler was rescued and is recuperating from the effects of exposure. These men set off confident in their knowledge and skill, but were overpowered by nature. The tragic result of an enjoyable outing of four friends reminds us all to take proper care when setting out upon the waters. 

According to the Center for Disease Control, the number of people who die in recreational boating accidents each year is about the same as those who perish in general aviation accidents.  There is a high perception of the potential dangers inherent in aviation, while boating is thought to be relatively safe. In most places a person with no boating experience can rent a boat and take to the high seas – no questions asked. The same is not true for operating an airplane or even an automobile.

Most boating accidents are preventable.   It starts by everyone on a boat wearing a properly fitting U.S. Coast Guard approved life jacket.  Wearing a life jacket will keep you afloat and help delay the effects of hypothermia.  LIFE JACKETS SAVE LIVES.  

Education, planning and preparation are also vital to a successful boating outing.

Education: Whether your state requires boater education or not, the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary urges that every boater takes a Boater Education class. Just like an automobile or an airplane, operating a boat requires more than just throttling up or setting a sail and getting underway. There are navigation rules, weather considerations, knowing how to respond to a person overboard, knowing how to place a distress call and knowing how to respond when you are physically unable, among other bits of knowledge.  EDUCATED BOATERS SAVE LIVES; take a boating safety class.

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Preparation and Planning: Have your boat checked out to make sure it complies with applicable Federal and State regulations for boats.  These checks conducted by the Coast Guard Auxiliary and U.S. Power Squadron help make sure that you have needed safety equipment on your boat.  SAFE BOATS SAVE LIVES; get a Vessel Safety Check (www.safetyseal.net.)

File a Float Plan (www.floatplancentral.com) with a friend or other relative.  Make sure they know where you plan on boating and when you plan on returning.  They also need to know who to call if you do not return at the indicated time. 

Make sure you have effective communications for your boating outing.   A marine band VHF-FM radio can be extremely valuable, but has limited range. Additionally, cell phones become less effective the further you are from shore and may receive no signal at all beyond 15-20 miles. 

Take a lesson from the Boy Scouts  - "Be Prepared" for sudden and dramatic changes in weather whether you are couple of miles offshore or twenty miles away from land.   It is common for fog to develop or strong winds to start blowing.  Listen to weather forecasts before you go and on your VHF-FM marine radio while underway.  Many times, weather near shore is significantly calmer than weather offshore and knowing the forecast for your intended destination can help you decide whether to leave the dock, stay in more protected areas or even stay at home. 

What if you do end up in the water unintentionally? If you are wearing your life jacket you’re half way there.  If the boat does capsize, keep everyone together and stay with the boat.  Electronic Position Indicating Radio Beacons (EPIRB’s) and Personal Position Indicating Radio Beacon or PPIRB’s are life savers.  PPIRB’s are attached to your life jacket.  We’ll call them all EPIRB’s from now on.  When an EPIRB gets activated, it sends a signal to the Coast Guard telling us you are in distress and providing your exact location. 

Flares, mirrors, strobe lights, whistles, and other signaling devices allow rescuers to quickly locate people who are already in the water and need help.  The Coast Guard will search at night as well as during daylight and anything that will make you more visible significantly aids your ability to be detected.

Again, always wear a life jacket.  LIFE JACKETS SAVE LIVES!

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