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Given Statistics And Expected Spike In Boaters, FWC Urges Safe Boating This Week

FWC

This week is National Safe Boating Week. It kicked off right around the start of Florida’s boating season.

Captain Tom Shipp is with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission’s Boating and Waterways Section. He says he anticipates a spike in boaters as they do every year with Memorial Day Weekend approaching, adding he just wants people to be safe.

“Florida has a year-round boating season, unlike many states,” said Shipp. “We have more vessels than any other states, and unfortunately, we lead the nation in the number of boating accidents.”

So, he has some boating safety recommendations, like wearing an inflatable life jacket.

“A lot of our fatalities every year are due to falls overboard and then they result in the victim drowning,” Shipp added. “If they were wearing their life jacket, their chances of survival would be so much better.”

Other safety tips include designating a boat operator who’s sober and can keep a proper lookout, having an emergency locator beacon, and taking a boating safety class. Shipp says more than 70 percent of boating victims involved in fatal accidents did not take a safety class.

For more news updates, follow Sascha Cordner on Twitter: @SaschaCordner.

Sascha Cordner has more than ten years of public radio experience. It includes working at NPR member station WUFT-FM in Gainesville for several years. She's worked in both radio and TV, serving in various capacities as a reporter, producer and anchor. She's also a graduate of the University of Florida with a bachelor's degree in telecommunications. She is the recipient of 15 awards from the Associated Press, Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ), and Edward R. Murrow. Her award-winning stories include her coverage on the infamous “Dozier School for Boys” and a feature titled "Male Breast Cancer: Lost in the Sea of Pink." Currently, Sascha serves as the host and producer of local and state news content for the afternoon news program "All Things Considered" at WFSU. Sascha primarily covers criminal justice and social services issues. When she's not reporting, Sascha likes catching up on her favorite TV shows, singing and reading. Follow Sascha Cordner on Twitter:@SaschaCordner.