DATE: May 23, 2008 6:47:22 AM EDT

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News Release

Date: May 23, 2008

Contact:
Donnie Brzuska
(305) 318-1864

Coast Guard Urges Boaters to be Safe Memorial Day Weekend

IMPORTANT NOTE: The commandant of the Coast Guard will speak about the latest national boating accident statistics at a press briefing at Patriots Point in Charleston, S.C., Friday at 11:45 a.m. Adm. Thad Allen will speak with members of numerous state and local law enforcement agencies. Please RSVP with Donnie Brzuska at 305-318-1864 if interested in attending. A search and rescue demonstration by Coast Guard helicopter and boat crews will occur at 1:45 p.m. at Patriots Point. 

 

CHARLESTON, S.C. – This Memorial Day weekend the Coast Guard is encouraging boaters to be safe on the water by boating responsibly.

More than 600 people died in America as a result of recreational boating accidents in 2007. Many more were injured and millions of dollars worth of property was lost in accidents that probably could’ve have been prevented with the proper training and equipment.

Boaters are reminded of five key living saving things as they head out for Memorial Day:

  1. Always Wear a Lifejacket – Approximately 90 percent of people who drowned in boating accidents in 2006 were not wearing a lifejacket.

  2. Don’t Drink and Boat – Alcohol use is the leading contributing factor in fatal boating accidents.

  3. Take a Boating Safety Course – Approximately 70 percent of all fatal accidents occurred on a vessel with an operator that had no formal boating safety instruction.

  4. Get a Vessel Safety Inspection – Even if you pay careful attention to safety, dangerous mechanical problems can crop up on the best-maintained boat. That's why the U.S. Coast Guard recommends that all recreational boaters take advantage of the free Vessel Safety Check program every year.
  5. File a Float Plan – A float plan is simply letting a reliable loved one or friend know where you are going, when you are going to be back and what kind of vessel you have. That person can call the Coast Guard if you don’t return on time and save critical minutes during life and death searches.

Boaters should remember that they are in command and that they may save more than their life by practicing safe boating. They may save the life of someone they love.

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Guarding the coast and saving lives since 1790 -- the United States Coast Guard
More than one million lives saved.

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