Boating safety tips offered for holiday weekend

BATAVIA – For a safe and enjoyable Labor Day holiday weekend on the water, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers offers a few safety tips.

Drowning is the nation’s second leading cause of accidental death, yet 90 percent of those who drown at U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ lakes and rivers may have been saved if they’d worn a life jacket. Just as a bike rider or skate boarder wears a helmet, a life jacket is an essential part of boating safety and should be worn at all times while on the water, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers says.

Boating experts also caution that alcohol and water can be a deadly mix, especially when combined with sun, heat, wind, glare and engine noise. Alcohol use remains the main contributing factor for boating deaths according to statistics from the Coast Guard’s Office of Boating Safety.

Carbon monoxide also can be a silent and invisible killer while boating. It can accumulate anywhere in and around boats regardless of the type of boat. Early symptoms include eye irritation, headache, nausea, weakness and dizziness. Install and maintain carbon monoxide detectors and maintain a fresh circulation of air through and around your boat at all times. Avoid areas where exhaust fumes may be present, and don’t swim under around the boarding platform to avoid the silent killer.

Also, if you have children on board, watch them carefully. It takes only 20 seconds for a child to drown. Several people drown each year within 10 feet of safety because those around them didn’t realize that they were in distress. Signs of a drowning victim include head back, gasping for air, no yelling or sound and arms slapping the water like the person is trying to climb out.

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