Boating Safety

FLORIDA IS KNOWN AS THE BOATING CAPITAL OF THE WORLD AND ALSO LEADS THE NATION IN BOATING-RELATED ACCIDENTS AND DEATHS. FLORIDA FISH AND WILDLIFE SAYS 97 PEOPLE DIED IN 2025 AND BOATING RELATED ACCIDENTS. THAT MARKS THE HIGHEST DEATH TOLL IN A DECADE. AND THE LATEST REPORT MORE THAN 50% OF BOATING-RELATED FATALITIES WERE DROWNINGS, BOATING SAFETY EXPERTS SAY MOST OF THE DEATHS COULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED WITH A SIMPLE USE OF A LIFE VEST. >> TO LEARN MORE ABOUT SAFE VOTING PRACTICES. WE ARE JOINED BY U.S. COAST GUARD AUXILIARY COMMANDER OF FOOTHILL AND 9, 6 OF WEEKENDS PASS AND WE HAD ARE ALL TELL OF IT HERE TODAY TO SHARE WITH US ARE REALLY IMPORTANT TIPS ON HOW TO STAY SAFE WHEN YOU GET ON THE WATER. IT'S VERY IMPORTANT AND WE HAVE MANY DEATHS OF BOATERS IN FLORIDA. IN FACT, OUR STATE, I BELIEVE LEADS THE NATION IN BOATING DEATHS. WHY IS THIS SUCH A PREVALENT PROBLEM IN FLORIDA? >> WELL, THE EASIEST THING AND THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME HERE RIGHT BEFORE OUR BIG MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND BECAUSE IT'S IMPORTANT WE GET OUR SAFETY MESSAGE OUT. AND TO YOUR QUESTION, WE HAVE THE MOST DEATHS, PROBABLY PRIMARILY BECAUSE WE HAVE THE MOST BOAT WE HAVE OVER A MILLION VOTES IN THE STATE OF FLORIDA THAT BY FAR THAT'S 10% OF THE TOTAL RECREATIONAL BOATS IN THE U.S. SO YOU COULD SAY, OH, WELL, THAT'S THE EASY ANSWER. AND THE OTHER EASY ANSWER IS THE SAY, WELL, WAIT A MINUTE, YOU CAN VOTE YEAR-ROUND UP NORTH IN MICHIGAN WHERE PHILADELPHIA, YOU'RE ONLY BOATING MUCH 3 MONTHS, 4 MONTHS AT THE MOST. SO IT'S EASY TO COME UP WITH THOSE EXPLANATIONS. BUT WHEN YOU DIG FURTHER INTO IT, YOU REALIZE FLORIDA HAS SOME UNIQUE CHARACTERISTICS THAT AREN'T NECESSARILY GOOD. ONE OF THEM. THE PRIMARY ONE I WOULD SAY IS THAT WE HAVE 36% ALCOHOL RATES IN ACCIDENTS THAT ARE REPORTED. AND THE NATIONAL RATES ONLY 20%. SO WE'RE FAR HIGH ABOVE THE NATIONAL AVERAGE ON THAT STATISTIC. AND THAT'S ONE OF THE CONTRIBUTING FACTORS TO ACCIDENTS. >> IS ALCOHOL. WHAT ARE SOME OTHER MAJOR CONCERNS ABOUT BOATING SAFETY THAT YOU WOULD LIKE PEOPLE TO BE AWARE OF? THE OTHER MAJOR CONCERNS? I WOULD SAY IS AND ATTENTION AND PEOPLE. >> 10 TO BECOME DISTRACTED. THEY'RE OUT WITH FRIENDS. THEY'RE OFTEN DRINKING, AS WE JUST SAID. AND IN FLORIDA HERE. BUT THEY'RE OFTEN TALKING TO PEOPLE THERE NOT HAVING A GOOD FORWARD. LOOK OUT AND THEY MISS THINGS. THEY MISS THE FACT THERE'S A MANATEE CROSSING THEIR PATH WE CAN'T AFFORD TO LOSE TO ANY MORE OF THOSE THIS YEAR. THEY ALSO HAVE BOATS THAT SUDDENLY STOPPED A LOOK AT A DOLPHIN WHO'S ON THE SIDE. SO WE HAVE A LOT OF THINGS GOING ON AND IT'S EASY TO LOSE FOCUS. AND THAT'S WHY WE RECOMMEND THAT PEOPLE HAVE A DESIGNATED LOOK OUT AND WE MAKE SURE THE CAPTAIN IS SOBER AND PAYING ATTENTION. THOSE ARE 2 OF THE BIGGEST THINGS. >> YOU HAD MENTIONED OUR WATERWAYS TO OUR RATHER UNIQUE. >> OUR WATERWAYS ARE VERY NARROW, VERY CONGESTED IN SOME AREAS AS YOU COME THROUGH NARROW. AND LET'S AND WE ALSO HAVE NUMEROUS AND BARS. SO WE HAVE THE RISK OF RUNNING AGROUND ON THOSE SANDBARS AND SOMETIMES PEOPLE WILL BLINDLY FOLLOW ANOTHER. BOTH IT LOOKS LIKE IT KNOWS WHERE IT'S GOING ONLY TO RUN INTO THEM ON THE SAME SAND BAR. SO WE HAVE A LOT OF A UNIQUE ACCIDENTS HERE AND WE HAVE A MUCH HIGHER RATE OF COLLISION ACCIDENTS AND COLLISION ACCIDENTS. THE CZECH PEOPLE FROM THE BOAT RESULT IN TRAUMA TO THE BODY WHEN THEY HIT A DOCK APPEAR OR THE MANGROVES, THE MANGROVES NEVER LOSE A BATTLE WITH A BOAT OR A PERSON'S BODY. SO THAT'S THE UNFORTUNATE THING. SO THE OTHER THING WE HAVE TO DO IS WEAR A LIFE PRESERVER WHILE YOU'RE BOATING BECAUSE A LOT OF PEOPLE HAVE THE MISCONCEPTION. WELL, OUT BOATING, IF THERE'S A PROBLEM, I CAN DIG OUT THE LIFE JACKETS. I CAN GET THE WHOLE, YOU KNOW, FAMILY TO PUT THEM ON. THEN WE'LL HAVE TIME. BUT IN FLORIDA, WE DON'T HAVE THE TYPICAL SWAMPING THINKING THAT YOU HAVE IN OTHER AREAS WERE MORE LIKELY TO HAVE THE SUDDEN VIOLENT COLLISIONS WITH ANOTHER BOAT COMING OUT OF A NARROW CHANNEL. YOU CAN SEE TO THE LAST MINUTE. OPERATING AT NIGHT AND RUNNING INTO A SMALL DOCKED THAT'S COMING OUT FROM THE WATER OR BRIDGE ABUTMENT. SO THOSE ARE THE KIND OF ACCIDENTS WE HAVE MUCH MORE FREQUENTLY IN FLORIDA. ANOTHER STATE. >> HOW IMPORTANT IS IT FOR BOATERS TO TAKE A SAFETY COURSE AND GET CERTIFIED? >> 65% OF THE ACCIDENTS THAT WE SEE. THE THE CAPTAIN HAS NOT TAKEN A BOATING SAFETY COURSE. AND THAT'S VERY TELLING THE MORE EDUCATION YOU HAVE ON BOATING SAFETY, THE SAY FOR A BOATER, YOU ARE. SO THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS WE REALLY WANT TO EMPHASIZE IS EVERYBODY SHOULD HAVE BOATING SAFETY COURSE. EVEN PEOPLE THAT THINK THEY'RE EXPERIENCED CAPTAINS. THERE'S CHANGES TO LAWS. THERE'S NEW TECHNOLOGY. THERE'S THINGS THAT THEY SHOULD POINT TO BE SAFER WHEN THEY'RE ON THE WATER. >> ARE THERE SPECIFIC KINDS OF LIFE PRESERVERS THAT YOU THINK PEOPLE SHOULD HAVE ONBOARD THEIR THEIR VESSEL? >> YES, I THINK THAT EVERYONE SHOULD HAVE A LIGHT JACKET. THEY'RE COMFORTABLE WEARING. AND IN THE PAST, WE USED TO HAVE BIG BULKY LIFE JACKETS THAT IN THE FLORIDA WEATHER ARE HOT CONFINING. NOBODY LIKE WEARING THEM. BUT TODAY WE HAVE A WHOLE BREED OF INFLATABLE LIFE JACKETS THAT ARE LIGHT EASY TO WHERE THEY'RE COOL. THEY'RE RELATIVELY COMFORTABLE AND THEY PROVIDE A GREAT SAFETY OF FOR PEOPLE THAT DIDN'T WANT TO BE ENCUMBERED BY THE OLD-STYLE LIFE JACKET. AND WE'RE GOING TO TAKE A LOOK AT ONE OF THESE INFLATABLE VESTS. >> OUR KATE CRONIN IS JOINING US NOW IN. >> SHE'S GOING TO SHOW US HOW WE CLIP THESE ON THAT AREA TIGHTENED UP. YEAH, I HAD NOT SEEN THESE BEFORE. I'M JUST A RECREATIONAL BOATER. I'VE SEEN THE THE THICK ONES THAT ARE MORE CUMBERSOME GRAND, UNCOMFORTABLE. >> AND THIS LOOKS ACTUALLY PRETTY COMFY. >> YEAH. AND THESE ARE COMMONLY AVAILABLE AT YOUR LEADING RETAILERS FOR BOATING ACCESSORIES LIKE WEST MARINE OR BASS PRO SHOPS. THEY HAVE A WHOLE RANGE OF THESE STARTING AS LITTLE AS AROUND $100. >> AND THEY INFLATE WHEN INFLATE AND THE PRIMARY ALL OF THEM WILL TO OURSELF INFLATING. >> THEY HAVE AN EMERGENCY PULL THAT YOU CAN SEE THAT LITTLE RED SWITCH AND DO THEY HAVE THESE 4 CHILDREN? DO THEY COME IN SMALLER SIZES? THEY'RE NOT SUITABLE FOR CHILDREN BECAUSE ONE OF THE REASONS IS IF IT DOESN'T AUTOMATICALLY INFLATE A CHILD MAY NOT HAVE THE PRESENCE OF MIND TO PULL THE TAB. SO THEY'RE NOT RECOMMENDED FOR CHILDREN UNDER 16, ALTHOUGH THEY'RE WORKING ON SOME NEW TECHNOLOGIES THAT WILL MAKE THAT MAY BE A LITTLE MORE AVAILABLE IN THE FUTURE. >> AND THIS WAS THE GOAL OF YOUR WITH THE UNITED STATES COAST GUARD AUXILIARY. AND THIS IS THE ENTIRE GOAL OF YOUR GROUP, CORRECT? RIGHT ARE FOCUSING IS ON RECREATIONAL BOATING SAFETY. AND WHAT WE WANT TO DO IS INFORM EDUCATE. >> AND WE ALSO MONITOR WE RUN REGULAR PATROLS TO MAKE SURE THAT PEOPLE ARE HAVING SAFE BOATING PRACTICES OUT THERE. AND IT'S SO IMPORTANT AND YOU OFFER COURSES CORRECT FOR PEOPLE, RIGHT? WE HAVE A VERY SPECIALIZED COURSES. WE HAVE WON A BOAT. AMERICA COURSE WHICH AND THIS IS IMPORTANT BECAUSE A LOT OF PEOPLE IN FLORIDA DON'T UNDERSTAND THIS. IF YOU'RE BORN AFTER 1988, YOU'RE REQUIRED TO HAVE A BOATING SAFETY CERTIFICATE. TO OPERATE ANY KIND OF WATERCRAFT WITH A MOTOR. SO ANYTHING OVER 9 HORSEPOWER AND ABOVE THAT HAS THEY HAVE TO HAVE A CERTIFICATE AND WE HOLD A CLASS CALLED BOATING AMERICA AND MANY OTHER OF OUR FLOTILLAS IN THIS AREA RUN IT. THERE'S ALSO SOME FROM OTHER ORGANIZATIONS. YOU CAN DO IT ONLINE, BUT WE PREFER TO HAVE THE STUDENTS THAT ARE ON THE WATER FACILITY AND WIGGINS PASS WHERE WE CAN TEACH THEM HANDS-ON TECHNIQUES. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR SHARING THESE IMPORTANT SAFETY TIPS TODAY. THANK YOU, MAYOR GIVING US THIS TIME. YES, THANKS SO MUCH. >> AND HERE'S SOME MORE INFORMATION ON FLORIDA. BOATING FROM THE WGCU NEWSROOM. THE NATIONAL MARINE MANUFACTURERS ASSOCIATION SAYS 10% OF ALL REGISTERED VOTES IN THE ENTIRE COUNTRY ARE IN FLORIDA AND THAT EQUALS 1.2 MILLION REGISTERED VOTES IN THE SUNSHINE STATE. YOU CAN FOLLOW ALONG WITH OUR COVERAGE ON BOATING SAFETY BY LOGGING ON TO WGCU