Even good boaters can get in trouble
It will be a short fishing trip on the family boat. Just Mom, Dad, and the three-year-old. It's a beautiful day, but so hot.
It's easy to feel sorry for the toddler in that heavy life jacket. But out of habit, the child still pulls on his jacket and lets Dad tighten it up. Ten minutes later, Mom and Dad turn their attention away to pull in a fish on the port side. A few seconds later, the fish is on board, but the child is gone — slipped over starboard in an instant.
The parents in this true story quickly found their baby bobbing next to the boat, saved by his jacket.
Trouble on the water can come to any boater, not just the reckless ones. You can do everything right, but unexpected events can still occur on the water and bring deadly consequences.
According to U.S. Coast Guard statistics, the single most important factor in boating fatalities is the failure to wear a life jacket. In fact, 75 percent of all 2022 boating fatalities were drownings. Of the people who drowned, 85 percent were not wearing life jackets.
The fatality rate in 2022 was 5.4 deaths for every 100,000 registered vessels. While that number is high, there has been improvement. In 1971, when the Safe Boating Act was first passed, the fatality rate was 20.6 deaths per 100,000 registered recreational vessels.
As awareness of boating safety and the importance of life jackets has increased, boating accidents and fatalities have ticked down.