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National Boat Safety Week held

(May 26, 2016) Downpours might have dampened planned festivities, but the messaging remained the same at the kickoff of National Boat Safety Week held last Saturday at the Coast Guard Station Ocean City on South Philadelphia Ave.
The major focus of this year’s campaign is increased use of life jackets. The annual nationwide push to raise awareness of safe boating practices and reduce on-the-water tragedies was held between May 21 and 27.
According to the Coast Guard’s 2015 Recreational Boating Statistics, nationwide fatalities totaled 626, an increase of 2.6 percent over the previous year. Of that number, 85 percent of the victims were not wearing life jackets
“The real issue is wear them and the facts are people don’t,” said Barry Cohen, vice flotilla commander for the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary.
In the majority of cases, Cohen said drowning victims had access to life jackets but fate intervened before they could get to them.
“It’s so hard to put a life jacket on when you’ve been thrown from a boat,” he said.
An ounce of prevention can go a long way to avoiding tragedy. Cohen recalled a family who lost three generations to watery graves when their 17-foot aluminum boat capsized.
“It was a father, grandfather, grandson and an uncle,” he said. “No one was wearing a life jacket, including the kid, who was seven. The uncle managed to get to the boat and hold on.”
The sole survivor, who must live with the horrific memory, was unable to pull anyone else to safety.
“He tired to save the kid and just said he couldn’t do it,” Cohen related. “Like I said, nobody was wearing life jackets. That’s the whole point, we all think we can handle the situation.”
To make sure folks leave the water with nothing worse than sunburn, the Coast Guard Auxiliary is encouraging participation in Boat Maryland, a $15 safety course, and also offers boat safety inspections for no charge. The Maryland’s Boating Safety Education Act mandates the safety course for boat operators born after July 1, 1972.
“You always wear a life vest, adhere to all navigation rules, keep a sharp lookout and be courteous to other boaters,” said Art Flora, flotilla commander for the Coast Guard Auxiliary.
While emergency preparedness is paramount, Flora said boaters must also have knowledge of docking, anchoring and passing other vessels to have a fun and safe time on the tides.
Water temperatures are another primary concern, even in the spring Cohen said.
“It’s only 60 degrees right now and that’s hypothermia temperatures,” Cohen said. “You’re going to lose your ability to swim. You’re going to lose your ability to climb back in the boat or hold on to it.”
Even as summer progresses and water temperatures hit 70 degrees, Cohen said hypothermia could still be a problem.
“You can still get hypothermia because it’s a relationship to how long you’re in the water, your physical condition and the condition of the ocean,” he said. “If you’ve got five-foot waves smacking you in the face, you’re going to lose your heat.”
For year-round boaters, the risk is greater.
“When you get to 30 degrees, like it gets here in the winter and people still go out on the water, you’re talking about 20 minutes for loss of consciousness,” he said.
He fears the seriousness of matters is lost on many, noting people often say ‘I’ll just climb back inside the boat.’
“I always ask them, “What’s your method of getting back in?” he said. “ Did you have an ignition cut off switch so the boat didn’t drive away?”
In addition to the safety course, the Coast Guard Auxiliary highly recommends yearly boat inspections to be prepared for the unexpected.
“Do the vessel exam because I’m going to guarantee with many of them something’s wrong,” Cohen said. “It’s a free service. Come on down and take advantage of it.”
While many owners who get their boats inspected feel confidently in compliance, Cohen said expired flares, out-of-date fire extinguishers and malfunctioning navigation lights are often discovered. He said some people will try to slight the importance of navigation lights, claiming they only go out during the day.
“There’s a second issue: you have to have them when the visibility is reduced,” he said. “If fog comes in, rain comes in, you have to be able to put them on.”
From his experience, Cohen said owners of high-priced boats generally believe they’ll pass the inspection easily. In some instances, what was up to snuff at home could have been compromised while trailering and traveling.
“You drive your boat from New York to Ocean City, you’ve got a chance that something came loose,” he said. “You’ve got to check it down here before you put it in the water and take off.”
By contrast, Cohen said many smaller boat owners are proactive with maintenance.
“I call them professional fisherman — they’re not doing it for a living they’re just out here everyday,” he said. “They take care of their stuff because they know they can’t afford to have their engine cut out.”
The Coast Guard Auxiliary provides free safety inspections every Saturday and Sunday morning throughout the summer at the West Ocean City ramp. They will also hold the Maryland Basic Boating Course three times during both June and July at the Ocean Pines Library. For more information, contact Cohen at 410-935-4807 or email cgauxoc@gmail.com.
“Everybody believes that it’s not going to happen to me. You can’t convince them,” he said. “Even if you have boated all of your life, you may learn something.”