| Boating and personal watercraft (Jet | | | | of all boating fatalities -- up eight |
| Skis and Sea Doos) accidents often occur | | | | (8) percent from 1999. A Coast Guard |
| due to negligence. They can result in | | | | study estimates that boat operators with |
| serious and sometimes deadly injuries. | | | | a blood alcohol concentration above .10 |
| There are many different types of water | | | | percent are estimated to be more than 10 |
| sport accidents, including accidents | | | | times as likely to be killed in a |
| that occur during recreational activity, | | | | boating accident than boat operators |
| on a cruise ship, navy vessel, or via | | | | with zero blood alcohol concentration. |
| maritime work. Regardless of the type of | | | | *Approximately eighty (80) percent of |
| boating accident involved, a boating | | | | all boating fatalities occurred on boats |
| accident lawyer specializing in personal | | | | where the operator had not completed a |
| injuries from boating and watersport | | | | boating safety education course. |
| accidents can help recover any damages | | | | *Nearly 70 percent of all reported |
| lost as a result of the accident. | | | | accidents involve operator controllable |
| Boating Accidents at a Glance | | | | factors. The primary causes of accidents |
| *The Coast Guard received reports for a | | | | are operator inattention, careless |
| total of 6,419 recreational boating | | | | reckless operation, operator |
| accidents in 2001. The casualty data for | | | | inexperience, operating at an unsafe |
| 2001 showed 681 fatalities and 4,274 | | | | speed, and no proper lookout. |
| injuries. | | | | *"Capsizings" and "Falls Overboard" |
| *Four hundred and ninety-eight (498) | | | | accounted for 386 fatalities, nearly |
| boaters drowned in 2001. Life jackets | | | | sixty (60) percent of all reported |
| could have saved the lives of | | | | boating fatalities. Nine out of every 10 |
| approximately 420 boaters who drowned. | | | | of those victims drowned . "Collision |
| In 2001, approximately eight out of | | | | with Another Vessel" was the most |
| every 10 victims in fatal boating | | | | reported type of accident . These |
| accidents were not wearing life jackets. | | | | accidents resulted in 1,366 injuries and |
| Boaters continue to be at a greater risk | | | | accounted for nearly nine (9) million |
| of dying when involved in an accident | | | | dollars in property damage. |
| during the fall and winter months than | | | | *Twenty-six (26) children age 12 and |
| in the summer. Besides the colder | | | | under lost their lives while boating in |
| weather and water, there are fewer | | | | 2001. One hundred and thirty-seven (137) |
| boaters and patrol officers in the area | | | | boaters died in the 40-49 age group |
| to rescue boaters in distress. When | | | | category -- the highest number reported |
| waters are below 60 degrees Fahrenheit, | | | | for any age group. |
| hypothermia can set in quickly. Those | | | | *Three hundred and fifty-two (352) |
| who hunt and fish from boats, especially | | | | fatalities occurred with the use of open |
| in colder weather, need to dress for | | | | motorboats, just over half of all |
| possible immersion and wear their life | | | | boating fatalities. One hundred and one |
| jackets. Boaters in larger bodies of | | | | (101) people lost their lives while |
| water should also take advantage of | | | | using canoes/kayaks in 2001. |
| using available distress alerting and | | | | Approximately ninety-three (93) percent |
| position indicating technologies to | | | | of canoe/kayak deaths were caused by |
| improve their chances of survival if a | | | | drowning. Fifty (50) fatalities occurred |
| mishap occurs. | | | | with the use of Personal Watercraft |
| *Eighty-five (85) percent of fatalities | | | | (PWC), the lowest number of PWC |
| occurred on boats less than 26 feet in | | | | fatalities reported since 1993. |
| length. Seventy-two (72) percent of | | | | Approximately eighty (80) percent of all |
| those victims drowned. Specifically, 322 | | | | reported injuries were associated with |
| fatalities occurred on boats less than | | | | the use of open motorboats (46%) and PWC |
| 16 feet in length and 254 occurred on | | | | (34%). Lacerations were the most |
| boats 16 to less than 26 feet in length. | | | | reported type of injury for open |
| *Alcohol involvement in fatal accidents | | | | motorboats. For PWC, broken bones were |
| accounted for thirty-four (34) percent | | | | the most often reported type of injury. |