Alaska Sees Low Recreational Boating Fatalities
2008 Marks Fewest Deaths Seen in 25 Years on Alaskan Waters
Jan 12, 2009
Alaska marked the fewest deaths recorded for recreational boating fatalities during 2008. Only twelve people lost their lives while boating in Alaska waters in 2008, the lowest number seen since 1983.
The Coast Guard Recreational Boating Safety Mission in Alaska
A primary mission of the Coast Guard and Coast Guard Auxiliary is to encourage recreational boating safety and help boaters become better prepared for emergencies. Lack of preparation can lead to major problems once a vessel is underway. Alaska’s cold waters often don’t offer unprepared boaters a second chance.
In announcing the 2008 boating safety statistics for Alaska, Mike Folkerts, Recreational Boating Safety Specialist for Alaska’s Seventeenth Coast Guard District says, "Alaska's waters are spectacular and can be deadly to the ill-prepared boater. Most recreational fatalities are from capsizing or falls overboard. Wear your lifejacket, it will buy you the critical time you need for a rescue if you end up in the water."
Safety Suggestions from Alaska’s Seventeenth Coast Guard District
The Coast Guard in District 17 offers several precautions and boating safety guidelines for ensuring a safe experience while on the waters of Alaska. Suggestions certainly apply to boaters and boating in other regions as well.
- File a Float Plan – Tell your harbormaster or a friend where you will be traveling and when to expect to return
- Bring Enough Fuel – Remember the rule of thirds for fuel consumption, one third of the tank is used to go out, one third is for the return and the remaining third of the fuel in the tank held in reserve
- Carry Safety Gear – Wear lifejackets while on deck. Carry a marine VHF radio. A cellular phone is not an equivalent replacement for an approved marine radio
- Get a Vessel Safety Check – The Coast Guard Auxiliary offers free safety inspections for recreational vessels. Find an examiner in your area by clicking the “I want a VSC” button at the Auxiliary website
- Don’t Drink and Boat – Boating magnifies the effects of alcohol use and the penalties in most states are the same on a boat as in a car for driving while intoxicated. Boating while intoxicated can only result in an accident, arrest or fatality
The Coast Guard maintains a recreational boating safety webpage where boaters can learn more about safe operation of their vessels. This site offers information on subjects like reducing accidents, beach safety, use of radio locator beacons, and preventing propeller strike injuries. The Boating Safety Division website is updated regularly with boating safety news of interest to recreational boaters.
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