There are so many beautiful waterways around Connecticut and the states that surround us. Many people in our area are avid boaters, but we're all too well aware of how many tragic accidents happen out on the open water. A family I know lost their daughter in an avoidable boating accident, and their lives were never the same.

National Safe Boating Week runs from May 20 - May 26, although every moment you spend on the water, should be spent safely. Each year hundreds of people lose their lives in boating incidences. A simple thing like wearing their life jacket could have saved them. According to U.S. Coast Guard statistics from 2014, drowning was the reported cause of death in three-fourths of recreational boating fatalities, and that 84 percent of those who drowned were not wearing life jackets.

There are numerous websites dedicated to all things safe about boating. Information can be found at safeboatingcouncil.org

Another fantastic source is the website for safe boating, which is safeboatingcampaign.com

Rachel Johnson, CAE, executive director of the National Safe Boating Council and lead organization for the North American Safe Boating Campaign had this to say on the site:

Each year hundreds of people lose their lives in boating incidences, and they may still be alive if they had been wearing a life jacket. It’s not enough to just own a life jacket and store it on a boat, you must wear it

While both organizations are promoting National Safe Boating Week, they stress the importance of always practicing safety on the water.

Enjoy your time out on the water, but please keep yourself and everyone around you safe.

 

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