The Memorial Day holiday weekend is the kick-off to summer boating season on lakes across the state. While Kentucky Fish and Wildlife officials want everyone to have a good time, they also want everyone to stay safe on the water. That’s why conservation officers will be stepping up their patrols this weekend and watching for dangerous boaters.
Officials say the two most important things to remember this weekend and before each outing on any waterways is to wear your personal floatation device and do not consume alcohol.
Recreational statistics compiled annually by the U.S. Coast Guard show an overwhelming percentage of people who had been involved in boating accidents and drowned were not wearing a lifejacket.
Officials indicate multiple people have drowned in boating accidents this month in Kentucky. In at least two incidents, the victim was not wearing a lifejacket.
Kentucky law requires each occupant of a boat to have ready access to his or her own U.S. Coast Guard-approved lifejacket.
Kentucky Fish and Wildlife officials recommend that everyone wear a lifejacket while boating, especially children and non-swimmers. Children younger than 12 must wear a lifejacket while in the open portion of the boat that is moving.
Also, as a reminder, officials say a person must be 12 years old to operate a boat with a motor of 10 horsepower or greater on public waters. This includes personal watercraft. A boat operator 12-17 years old must possess a Safe Boating Certificate Card or completion of a National Association of State Boating Law Administrators-approved boater education course.
There were 47 deaths on Kentucky waterways last year, 13 of those boating related. U.S. Coast Guard statistics indicate alcohol is the leading contributing factor in fatal boating accidents.
