Boaters urged to boat safely during National Safe Boating Week
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With National Safe Boating Week and the release of the 2020 Boating Accident Statistical Report, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) encourages boaters to focus on simple, effective steps that make boating safer. If you plan to enjoy our beautiful waterways, check out MyFWC.com/Boating for boating safety tips. Safety is never optional!
“National Safe Boating Week is May 22-28 and we want to encourage boaters to boat safely while enjoying Florida’s year-round boating season,” said Maj. Rob Beaton, FWC’s Boating and Waterways section leader. “Reminding people to be safe and slow down is our top priority. Nothing can ruin an enjoyable and memorable experience on the water faster than a boating accident.”
Monroe, 99 accidents, nine deaths
Miami-Dade, 95 accidents, five deaths
Palm Beach, 56 accidents, seven deaths
Pinellas, 56 accidents, four deaths
Lee, 48 accidents, three deaths
Collier, Manatee and Sarasota counties rounded out the top 10.
The state recorded 79 boating deaths in 2020, also the highest total since at least 2011. The deaths were up 21% from 2019.
People falling overboard and drowning was the leading cause of death, according to the report. The commission noted that 88% of the drowning victims were not wearing life jackets.
Almost half of the accidents last year involved collisions where often the attention of vessel operators was diverted or proper lookouts were not maintained.
Boating accidents spiked in Florida in 2020, report says By ABC7 Staff | May 10, 2021 at 7:19 AM EDT - Updated May 10 at 7:40 PM
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WWSB) - Florida waters last year were the deadliest for boaters in at least a decade, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.
Manatee and Sarasota counties were mentioned in the report, reporting the 9th and 10th highest number of accidents, respectively.
Art Conforti, an avid boater from Sarasota says a big part of the problem is that there are many more boaters out there because of the pandemic and a lot of them haven’t been certified or trained properly.
Florida waters in 2020 were the deadliest for boaters in at least a decade, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.
Florida waters last year were the deadliest for boaters in at least a decade, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.
The 2020 Boating Accident Statistical Report released Friday showed 836 boating accidents in 2020, the most in a year since at least 2011 and 16% more than in 2019.
Meanwhile, the state recorded 79 boating deaths in 2020, also the highest total since at least 2011. The deaths were up 21% from 2019.
People falling overboard and drowning was the leading cause of death, according to the report.