Delaware officials, including U.S. Sen. Tom Carper, D-Del., convened in Lewes on Monday to celebrate National Safe Boating Week, which is May 17-23, to kick off the state's busiest boating season by encouraging safe boating practices.
Last year, there were no fatalities and eight reportable boating accidents in Delaware waters, a decrease from two fatalities and 13 accidents in 2012, according to a U.S. Coast Guard report. A total of 59,186 boats were registered in the state for 2013.
The report shows Delaware, Nebraska and Wyoming being the only states with zero boat-related fatalities in 2013. There were 14 fatalities — an increase from 11 in 2012 — in Maryland and 11 —a decrease from 15 in 2012 — in Virginia. The number of boating accidents declined in both Maryland and Virginia from 2012 to 2013.
Since 1991, when a Delaware law was passed that required children under the age of 12 to wear personal floatation devices, not a single child has died in Delaware waters, said Collin O'Mara, Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control Secretary.
The state has also required persons born after Jan. 1, 1978 to take a boating safety course before they can operate boats on state waters, thanks to a law passed in 1994. Several courses are offered, many taught by U.S. Coast Guard auxiliary members, O'Mara said. The state offers an eight hour basic boating safety course in multiple locations statewide and online.
"These are laws that work," he said. "A lot of times when folks ... are passing laws, folks say 'what is this actually going to mean on the ground?' In this case it means lives are saved. It doesn't get much simpler than that."
Carper has been told by Delaware and out-of-state boaters the state is a great place to fish with wonderful facilities.
"We just had Mother's Day, a lot of people showed up to be with their mom, their grandmom, everybody was there ... in part because their lives were not lost in a boating accident," he said. "Father's Day is coming up ... and you can look around the room ... and everybody will be there. And at least if they're not, it won't be because of a boating accident, because we're looking out for them."
On a national level, boating accidents decreased from 4,515 in 2012 to 4,062 in 2013, with fatalities decreasing from 651 to 560, according to the U.S. Coast Guard.
Despite the week being devoted to boat safety, Chief Robert Legates of DNREC's Division of Fish and Wildlife Enforcement section said it's important to remain vigilant about boat safety all year long, adding wearing a lifejacket can reduce the change of drowning by as much as 80 percent.
"Not knowing or obeying the navigation rules of the roads, drinking alcohol or taking drugs while operating a boat or choosing not to wear your lifejacket puts boat operators and passengers and other boaters at risk," he said. "As a boater, sharpening your skills and knowledge and being aware of the risks can dramatically increase your safety on the water."
jbleiweis@dmg.gannett.com
By: Bill Schrama
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