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