Articles Posted in Boating Accidents

Authorities were on the water in force over the Memorial Day weekend, a trend law enforcement promises will continue through the summer months as safety advocates vow to reduce the dangers of serious and fatal Massachusetts boating accidents.

As we reported recently on our Boston Personal Injury Attorney Blog, a total of 21 people have already died this year in boating accidents off the coast of Massachusetts.

The Boston Globe reported there have already been 6 fatal boating accidents in Massachusetts this year, compared to 10 in all of 2009. The U.S. Coast Guard and local authorities cite boating while intoxicated as the leading contributor to serious and fatal boating accidents.

This summer, authorities in Massachusetts will participate in Operation Dry Water, an aggressive campaign to increase checkpoints for drunk captains and to educate boaters about the dangers of drinking and boating. Part of the challenge facing efforts to combat drunk boating is that alcohol is permitted on boats, with the exception of some areas like Massachusetts state parks. However, boat operators can be held to the same standards as the driver of an automobile. In both cases, operation of a vehicle with a blood-alcohol level over .08 is illegal.

A first BUI offense in Massachusetts is punishable by up to 30 months in jail and a $1,000 fine. An offender may also have his or her driver’s license suspended even though a motor vehicle was not involved.

Another challenge for law enforcement is that drinking and boating does not carry the same stigma as drinking and driving. While driving a car while intoxicated has become less acceptable, many people remain more tolerable about drinking and boating.

Meanwhile, authorities are convinced that better education and the use of life vests can help prevent Massachusetts boating accidents. The Coast Guard reports that two-thirds of boating fatalities result from drowning while only 1 in 10 boating accidents involve a driver who has received boating safety instruction.
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This week is National Boating Safety week and an unusually high number of serious and fatal Massachusetts boating accidents have safety advocates preaching caution as the boating season begins in earnest with the Memorial Day weekend.

The Daily Item reports the area has already seen a record number of boating deaths so far in 2010 — a total of 21 people have already died in boating accidents off the coast of Massachusetts.

“Sadly, during the last decade on the waters of the Northeast, we’ve averaged 50-53 boating and paddling fatalities per year,” said Al Johnson, a recreational boating safety specialist for the First Coast Guard District in Boston.

As we reported recently on our Boston Personal Injury Attorney Blog, two Boston women were killed last week in a boating accident in Narragansett Bay.

A total of 55 fatal Massachusetts boating accidents occurred in 2008, while 58 occurred in 2007, according to the U.S. Coast Guard.

The Safe Boating Council offers the following safety tips:

-Boat Responsibly and Wear It: Always remain alert and careful while boating and always wear your life jacket. About 90 percent of those who drown were not wearing a life vest.

-Know the Navigation Rules: You wouldn’t drive a car without understanding the rules of the road. So don’t drive a boat without learning the rules that can help keep you safe on the water. Understanding the rules for meeting, crossing or overtaking another boat can help keep you and your passengers safe. Maintain a proper lookout and a safe speed.

-Boat Sober: The same rules for driving a car while intoxicated, apply to piloting a boat. Operating a boat while intoxicated is illegal in all 50 states and is also a violation of federal law. An intoxicated boater is 10 times more likely to die in a boating accident.

-Be Aware of Carbon Monoxide: Engines produce carbon monoxide, a colorless, odorless, poisonous gas. Proper cabin ventilation and well-maintained equipment is critical.

-Take a Boater Safety Course: Seventy percent of boating accidents are caused by operator errors, including inattention, carelessness, recklessness, inexperience, speeding and failure to watch for hazards. A boater safety course is essential to learning the rules on the water that can help keep you safe.

-Get Your Boat Checked: A well-maintained and properly equipped vessel is a safer boat for all who board.

The Massachusetts Environmental Police’s Boat and Recreation Vehicle Safety Bureau offers answers to frequently asked boating safety questions.
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Two Massachusetts women are being remembered by friends and family after a fatal boating accident in Narragansett Bay, South Coast Today reported.

The women, both 23, were residents of Dighton and Assonet. They were killed last weekend when their boat crashed into Despair Island off the coast of Rhode Island. Relatives said the two women were thrown from the 22-foot recreational vessel when it crashed. Three other boat occupants were treated at local hospitals.

Rescue workers from the Warwick Fire Department found the overturned boat about 2:45 a.m. Cause of the accident is under investigation by the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management and the Rhode Island Attorney General’s Office.