Tuesday, July 2, 2024
With the arrival of Memorial Day weekend and the summer season, Texans will soon head to various water destinations to escape the heat. Whether your plans include a visit to the lake or beach, floating the river, or lounging by the pool, taking extra precautions when near the water can help keep you and your loved ones safe.
Boating Safety
With Gatesville being just a short drive away from several lakes, boating is a popular activity for holiday weekends and throughout the summer. According to the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD), 175 boating accidents occurred in Texas waters in 2023, resulting in 28 fatalities.
Cody Jones, Texas Game Warden assistant commander for marine enforcement, said in a TWPD press release that he is confident those numbers can shrink with more awareness and safety training.
“While we’re grateful the total number of boating accidents and fatalities decreased more than 17%, and injuries decreased more than 15 % from 2022, we’re not in the clear yet,” Jones said. “Accidents on the water can happen quickly and unexpectedly. It’s important to stay aware of your surroundings and practice boating safety.”
Jones shares a few boating safety tips:
Last year, drowning accounted for more than 57% of deaths on the water and was the leading cause of death in recreational boating fatalities, TWPD shares. Of those, 75% of the victims were not wearing a life jacket.
“Wearing a personal floatation device or life jacket is one of the easiest things someone can do to protect themselves while on the water,” Kimberly Sorensen, boating education manager of TPWD said in the release. “In the event that an accident does occur, it is unlikely someone will have time to find their life jacket and properly secure it, so it is best to wear one at all times when on the water.”
Sorenson emphasizes the importance of not only wearing a life jacket, but also ensuring it fits both adults and children properly.
“Adult-sized life jackets are not appropriate for children to wear, and you should never buy a life jacket for your child to ‘grow into,’” Sorenson said.
Under the Water Safety Act, Texas law requires that a U.S. Coast Guard-approved life jacket must be available and accessible to each occupant of a boat or paddle craft. Children under the age of 13 are required by law to wear their life jacket.
Engine cut-off switches are another important tool to prevent injuries and fatalities, according to TPWD. Most motorized boats are equipped with this device, typically attached by a lanyard.
Texas law requires that anyone operating a personal watercraft or motorboat less than 26 feet in length must have the engine cut-off device attached to themselves, their clothing, or their life jacket when operating at greater than idle speed. In the event the boat operator falls off the boat or moves from the helm, the engine automatically shuts off.
For more information about boating safety, laws, and requirements, visit https://tpwd.texas.gov/fishboat/boat/laws/
To enroll in a boater education safety course via TPWD, visit https://tpwd.texas.gov/education/boater-education/
Drowning Prevention
Even if your weekend or summer plans do not include boating, following a few safety measures around any body of water can help prevent a drowning incident.
While drowning can happen to anyone, children are at the greatest risk. It is the single leading cause of death for children ages 1-4 and the second leading cause of unintentional injury death for children up to age 14, according to the National Drowning Prevention Alliance’s (NDPA) website.
Because it often happens quickly and quietly, the NDPA recommends learning the Five Layers of Protection to prevent drowning:
To learn more about the National Drowning Prevention Alliance, visit ndpa.org.
