LAUNCH 5 CREW CONCERNED OVER RISE IN BOATING FATALITIES

[Guest daraio]

LAUNCH 5 CREW CONCERNED OVER RISE IN BOATING FATALITIES

90% of drowning victims in 2006 were not wearing a life jacket.

By Robert Daraio BC-AI

Ossining, N.Y. On Saturday, October 20, 2007 a maritime crash killed two men in waters off the coast of south Brooklyn. The accident was caused by a 24-foot pleasure boat colliding with a tugboat's towline. None of the four pleasure boaters were wearing their lifejackets. The crash Saturday occurred just five months after another deadly barge-versus-pleasure-boat collision in the Long Island Sound about half a mile north of Sands Point.

In an earlier incident, on June 10, Ociele Medina, 47, of the Bronx died a few days after a 324-foot tanker barge collided with the 24-foot fishing vessel she was aboard.

The crew of Launch 5, a Philip Rhodes designed, 53ft, steel hulled, twin diesel powered, former NYPD Harbor Patrol Boat operated by the Launch 5 Hudson River Environmental Safety Foundation, has expressed great concern at the continuing increase in the number of boating fatalities and injuries, and plans to step up their efforts to remind boaters to boat smart, wear a lifejacket.

Published reports by the U.S. Coast Guard Office of Boating Safety, show that for the second consecutive year the number of boating fatalities increased, to 710 deaths in 2006, up from 697 in 2005. The number of injuries also increased from 3,451 in 2005 to 3,474 injuries in 2006.

The reports also show other consistent and disturbing facts. Two-thirds of all fatal boating accident victims drowned and 90 percent of those drowned were not wearing their life jackets. Eight out of every ten boaters who drowned were operating boats less than 20 feet in length.

Also consistent with previous years, 70% of reported fatalities occurred on boats where the operator had not received boating safety instruction.

The report states that operator inattention, carelessness/reckless operation, excessive speed, and failure to maintain a proper lookout are the primary contributing factors in all reported accidents.

Despite the progress being made against boating under the influence (BUI), alcohol use is a leading contributing factor in fatal boating accidents; accounting for nearly twenty percent (20%) of all reported fatalities.

Perhaps the most alarming statistic is the increase in the number of children under 12 years old who lost their lives while boating in 2006, where 29 children died, compared to 21 children in 2005 and 14 children in 2004. Nearly twice as many children drowned in 2006 (15) compared to 2005 (8).

Boat owners, operators and even passengers can take these relatively simple steps to insure their safety while enjoying recreational boating:

Wear Your Lifejacket - Just Wear It! Wearing a life jacket is the single most important thing you can do to ensure your safety on the water. Even if you are a strong swimmer, you need to wear a life jacket!

Take A Boating Safety Course - Knowledge is power! Owners, operators and passengers should take courses offered by the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation; the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary; and the U.S. Power Squadron. Courses cover topics ranging from basic boating skills to advanced coastal navigation. Greg Porteus, owner of Launch 5, encourages everyone who might be put in a position of having to take command due to incapacity of the owner/operator to take a basic boating safety course. Contact Dr. Karen Caldwell at drkrcaldwell@aol.com to sign up for the next America's Boating Course.

Get A Free Vessel Safety Check (VSC) - A properly equipped boat is a safe boat! Owners and Operators are encouraged to take advantage of free vessel safety checks offered by the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary and the U.S. Power Squadron, including owners and operators of canoes and kayaks, which are also required to carry basic safety equipment such as a sound producing device. (A significant increase was observed in the number of reported fatalities associated with the use of canoes/kayaks (99) when compared to 2005 statistics (78). Contact Bob Daraio at 914-944-9626 or bdaraio@yahoo.com to arrange to have a free Vessel Safety Check. Boat Smart, Boat Safe.

Don't Drink And Boat - A sober operator is a safer operator! In the marine environment. Motion, vibration, engine noise, sun, wind, and spray intensify the effect of alcohol and drugs. These "stressors" cause fatigue and dramatically affect a boat operator's coordination, judgment, vision, and reaction time. Levels of blood alcohol or medications that would have little impact on land can potentially cause a much greater degree of impairment for the operator of a boat. Boat Smart, Boat Sober!

The complete 2006 Boating Statistics report is available at:

www.uscgboating.org/statistics/Boating_Statistics_2006.pdf.

The Launch 5 Hudson River Environmental Safety Foundation is a non-profit, tax exempt, 501©3 corporation, formed to help coordinate and assist the joint efforts of Marine Police, Fire, EMS, US Coast Guard and US Coast Guard Auxiliary units involved in Boating Safety, Aids to Navigation and Search and Rescue operations on the Hudson River.

The Launch 5 Foundation seeks and disseminates current information on emergency response equipment and training, including the sponsoring of classes and seminars for rescue personnel, the general public, commercial and recreational boaters. They obtain and restore historical water rescue craft in order to promote the study of the history of water rescue and the historical significance of boating safety and Search and Rescue, and promote the preservation and replenishment of the Hudson River environment, including cooperating with similar public charities, marine biology groups and student/youth groups.

Launch 5

For more information about Launch 5, a Philip Rhodes designed, 26 ton, steel hulled, twin diesel powered, former NYPD Harbor Unit Patrol Boat, visit www.launch5.com.

Click on the links below to read about the latest adventures of Launch 5 30 SEP 07 Launch 5 Responds To Hudson River Distress Call 23 SEP 07 Distress Flares On The Hudson Spark Launch 5 Search 09 AUG 07 Launch 5 Crew Assists AMVER In N.Y. Harbor
08 AUG 07 Launch 5 Crew Continues Search For Missing Man
15 JUL 07 Launch 5 Crew Recovers Boat Adrift In Busy Channel 17 JUN 07 Launch 5 Rescue On The Hudson The United States Coast Guard Auxiliary is composed of uniformed volunteers who assist the Coast Guard in all of its varied missions, except for direct military and law enforcement. These men and women can be found performing a variety of missions - on the nation's waterways, in the air, in classrooms, and on the dock, performing Maritime Domain Awareness patrols, Marine Safety and Environmental Protection patrols, Free Vessel Safety Checks, and boating safety public education.

The United States Coast Guard Auxiliary was founded in 1939 by an Act of Congress as the U.S. Coast Guard Reserve and re-designated as the Auxiliary in 1941. Over 29,000 members donate millions of hours annually in support of Coast Guard missions. Membership is open to US Citizens 17 years of age or older who must also pass a Personal Security Investigation.

For more information on the United States Coast Guard Auxiliary, visit www.cgaux.org.

Enjoy recreational boating, but keep your radios and PFDs on and your eyes peeled, you never know when you'll be needed to step up and reaffirm our motto:

Semper Paratus