101 CDOS Week 2: Boating Safety

  • Published
  • By Compiled from staff reports
  • 354th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
EIELSON AIR FORCE BASE, Alaska --  Boating accident statistics show that wearing your life jacket is the number-one thing you can do to greatly increase your chances of surviving a boating accident.
Eighty-five percent of those who drown do not wear their life jackets even though in many cases, life jackets were aboard. Although wearing a life jacket is the number one boating safety step, the National Safe Boating Council offers four other steps to dramatically reduce your chances of being hurt or killed in a boating accident. 

STAY SOBER IN YOUR BOAT!
An operator with a blood alcohol content above .10--(equivalent to consuming 5 beers in one hour for the average 180-lb. male)--is 10 times more likely to die in a boating accident than an operator with zero blood alcohol. Stressors such as sun, vibration, noise, and other environmental elements affect the body more when you consume alcohol. Operating a boat under the influence of alcohol or drugs is illegal in all states and violation of federal law.

TAKE A SAFE BOATING COURSE!
Seventy percent of recreational boating accidents are caused by factors that are controlled by the boat's operator--such as failure to pay attention, carelessness, recklessness, inexperience, excessive speed, and failure to watch for hazards. Boating safety courses are available, inexpensive, and quick--a great way for you to learn safety and the rules of the road.

GET YOUR BOAT CHECKED!
The Coast Guard Auxiliary and United States Power Squadrons® offer a free Vessel Safety Check. Contact www.vesselsafetycheck.org for information.

BE AWARE OF CARBON MONOXIDE!
All boat engines produce Carbon Monoxide (CO)--an odorless, colorless, poisonous gas that can kill you in a matter of minutes. Boaters are killed every year because of improper cabin ventilation, poorly maintained equipment, and careless behavior. You do not have to be inside the boat to be at risk. Boaters have died from exposure on the swim platforms of their boats and in other areas where CO exhaust may accumulate or be emitted. Be aware of the early symptoms (irritated eyes, headache, nausea, weakness, and dizziness), and use CO detectors on your boat.