North American Safe Boating Campaign 2009
Each year boating mishaps occur. Coast Guard Auxiliary vessel Shiver Me Timbers, piloted by Coxswain Jim Kremsner, tows a boat that became disabled on the east side of Pyramid Lake during the April 18, 2009 Hook, Line and Sinker Fishing Tournament at Pyramid Lake. This tow took over two hours to get back to the Pelican Point launch ramp but fortunately for this boater no harm was done to his boat or its crew. The disabled boat's captain did one very smart thing, his boat was equipped with a VHF radio and he was able to communicate his position over that radio.
Other boaters aren't so lucky. This boater collided with a day marker not only sinking his boat but injuring his crew. Collisions with fixed objects were the second most common cause of boating accidents, resulting in 35 fatalities in 2007, the most recent year reported by the Coast Guard.
The U.S. Coast Guard released the most recent data for boating accidents for calendar year 2007. The good news is that for 2007, the number of boating fatalities decreased to 685 from 710 in 2006.
Drowning was the cause of death in 69% of these fatalities, and 89% of these boaters were not wearing a life jacket. 75% of these fatalities occurred on boats where the owner had not taken a boating safely class.
As the popularity of canoes and kayaks increases, so has the casualties associated with this type of vessel. Canoe and kayak fatalities now are the second most common reason for boating fatalities exceeded only by open motorboats.
The most common type of accident in 2007 was a collision with another vessel. Collisions with fixed objects were the second most common type of accident.
Considering that collisions with other vessels and fixed objects were the most common accident, it is no surprise that the most common contributing factor to these accidents was operator inattention. Alcohol use was often associated with these accidents.
For more information about the 2009 North American Safe Boating Campaign, see their web site.
