BOATING SAFETY REMINDER FOR LABOR DAY WEEKEND

Safety key to successful holiday on busy lakes

PRATT – Labor Day weekend is the last big outdoor holiday at Kansas lakes, and the Kansas

Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism (KDWPT) reminds boaters that being safe on the water is key to an enjoyable weekend. Overall, boating is a very safe outdoor pursuit, but it only takes one small mistake or oversight for a fun day on the water to turn tragic.

Being safe on the water isn’t complicated. By following regulations and a few common-sense rules, boat operators can ensure that everyone in their party stays safe. The first rule is to have everyone onboard wear a life jacket. Accidents can happen quickly, anyplace or anytime on the water. Although every boat must have a life jacket on board for every person on the boat, Kansas law only requires those age 12 and younger to wear a life jacket at all times while on a boat. Those 13 and older are not required to wear a life jacket but must have one available that is easily accessible and fits properly. "Easily accessible" means the jackets must be within reach and in plain view. Life jackets stowed under seats or in storage compartments do not meet this requirement.

Life jackets, like seat belts in cars, must be worn to save lives. There are many excuses given for not wearing life jackets, but life jackets are no longer the orange, hot, bulky vests commonly thought of. New developments have produced smaller, sleeker, and more comfortable life jackets, leaving boaters with no reason not to wear them.

Another common sense safety rule on the water is to avoid alcohol or have a designated boat driver. Alcohol affects a person’s judgment and reflexes, and a high percentage of boating accidents are alcohol-related. And being outdoors on a warm sunny day exacerbates the effects of alcohol. KDWPT boating enforcement officers will be on the lookout for impaired boat operators. Operating a recreational vessel with a blood alcohol concentration of .08 or higher is against Kansas state law. Anyone caught operating a boat under the influence can have their vessel impounded and incur penalties including arrest, fines, and loss of boating privileges.

And finally, several recent incidents on Kansas lakes put boaters in danger unnecessarily. While it falls under “use common sense,” individuals were “lost” after being left to float on a large reservoir. Both had floatation devices and both survived, but it could have been worse. Never leave anyone floating in open water outside of designated swimming areas. Wave action can make a solitary swimmer almost impossible to see for other boaters and hard to find for anyone looking for them.

This Labor Day, have fun, stay safe and “Wear It Kansas.”

OPERATION DRY WATER ADDRESSES BOATERS UNDER THE INFLUENCE

Concentrated efforts to curb drinking and boating are slated for June 28-30

TOPEKA – Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks, and Tourism (KDWPT) law enforcement officers will be on the lookout for boaters under the influence during Operation Dry Water June 28-30. Operation Dry Water is part of a national effort to reduce accidents and fatalities related to boating under the influence (BUI) of drugs and alcohol, and educate recreational boaters about the dangers of BUI.

KDWPT officers are responsible for patrolling Kansas waters and conducting boat accident investigations, boat safety inspections, BUI checks, safety programs, educational classes and other boating related activities. During Operation Dry Water, officers will be out in force looking for boaters whose blood alcohol content exceeds the state limit of 0.08. The weekend will include increased patrols, breathalyzer tests, life jacket checks, and boater education. Impaired

boaters can expect to be arrested or face other serious penalties. In Kansas, the consequences for BUI include fines, jail, and loss of boating privileges. During the 2012 Operation Dry Water, eight arrests were made for BUI offenses.

"We are dedicated to keeping boaters safe on our waters. Boating is a safe and enjoyable pastime when people stay alert and follow the rules,” said Kansas boating law administrator Major Dan Hesket. "Many factors contribute to the way alcohol affects a person on the water, such as the sun, wind, glare, dehydration and wave motion, causing a person to become intoxicated three times faster than on shore.”

BUI is a major problem across the nation. According to U.S. Coast Guard Recreational Boating Statistics 2012, alcohol is the primary contributing factor in recreational boating fatalities. Intoxicated boaters run a significantly increased risk of being involved in a fatal boating accident. During calendar year 2012, Kansas recorded 27 boat accidents, of which two resulted in a fatality, 12 resulted in injuries, and 13 involved only property damage. Property damages were estimated at $112,321.

Operation Dry Water 2013 is a joint program of KDWPT, the National Association of State Boating Law Administrators, and the U.S. Coast Guard.

For more information, visit www.operationdrywater.org, or ksoutdoors.com and click “Boating.”

OPERATION DRY WATER BRINGS FIELD SOBRIETY TESTS TO BOATERS

Image by moron noodle via Flickr

June 24-26 are awareness days; operations underway year-round
PRATT — Marine law enforcement officers from local, state, and federal boating agencies — including the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks (KDWP) — will be out in force June 24-26 for Operation Dry Water (ODW), an annual campaign focused on the detection and enforcement of boating under the influence (BUI). A secondary objective is to raise awareness among all boaters that it is unsafe as well as illegal to operate a boat under the influence of drugs and/or alcohol.

More than 17 percent of boating fatalities result from alcohol use, and KDWP has gotten tougher in recent years in enforcing laws against this high-risk behavior. Operating a recreational vessel with a blood alcohol concentration of .08 or higher is against Kansas state law. Boaters caught operating under the influence can find their voyage terminated and their vessel impounded. Additionally, penalties can include arrest, fines, and loss of boating privileges.

The effort is timed to give BUI enforcement high visibility before the Fourth of July, perhaps the busiest recreational boating weekend of summer. A new battery of testing standards will, for the first time, allow marine patrol officers to test boaters in a seated position and apply a percentage of probability that the subject is impaired at .08 blood alcohol concentration (BAC) or higher.

For more information on this annual event, go online tooperationdrywater.org.

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