Boating fatalities on the rise

The Coast Guard hopes that the latest accident statistics will convince individuals of the need to boat more safely. In a recent 12-month period, fatalities were up from 681 to 750, reversing a downward trend. Eighty-five percent of those who drowned were not wearing life jackets. Boating fatalities involving alcohol use rose to 39%. Approximately 80% of all reported fatalities occurred on boats where the operator had not received boating safety instruction.

Twenty-eight children age 12 and under lost their lives. Nearly 40% of those youngsters were not wearing life jackets. More adults between 30-39 years old died than any other age group, accounting for one-fifth of total fatalities. The most common craft involved in reported accidents were open motorboats (41%), personal watercraft (28%), and cabin motorboats (15%). Increases were seen in the number of reported fatalities involving open motorboats. An estimated 85% of all drowning victims involved boats less than 21 feet long.

Accidents can and do happen in a split second and hundreds of boaters are dying because they are not wearing life jackets from the start of the trip, warns the Coast Guard.

COPYRIGHT 2005 Society for the Advancement of Education
COPYRIGHT 2005 Gale Group