Fourth of July boaters urged to be careful

Fourth of July boaters urged to be careful

During the Fourth of July holiday, many people take to the water to celebrate the country’s independence. The warm, sunny days of summer, combined with viewing fireworks, put many more boats and people on the water in close proximity. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) urges boaters to practice cautious behavior while boating on this busy day and especially to wear life jackets all the time while boating.

Boating accidents usually are caused by the operator’s inattentiveness. Most boating accident fatalities are men, and most accidents involve a single vessel.

"We are so fortunate in this country to have the freedom that we have, and that includes freedom on the water," said Capt. Richard Moore, the FWC’s boating law administrator. "But, with this freedom comes personal responsibility to make sure your passengers are safe and you are not creating a hazard for other boaters."

The FWC’s Boating and Waterways Section reports 27 fatalities so far this year. Eighteen of these deaths were attributed to drowning, and many could have been prevented had the victim been wearing a life jacket.

The FWC has recently launched the "Wear It Florida" campaign, which educates boaters about the importance of wearing life jackets all the time while on the water. In addition, the campaign promotes more comfortable styles of life jackets than the traditional life jacket. To learn more about this campaign, visit WearItFlorida.com.

"We all expect to have a good time when we celebrate the Fourth of July," Moore said. "No one expects anything to go wrong, but that can all change in an instant if someone is not paying attention or falls overboard."

There are a variety of life jackets available to boaters. New styles are much smaller, lighter and more comfortable to wear than the traditional vest life jacket. One new style, the "belt pack," is worn around the waist. A "suspender" style also is available. These types of life jackets are inflatable, and some models activate automatically if the wearer falls into the water.

"You and your guests could wear one of the newer styles and be totally unaware of having it on," Moore said.

In anticipation of heavy boat traffic this weekend, the FWC will have an increased presence to promote boating safety and strictly enforce boating-under-the-influence laws.