DON'T BOW RIDE LIKE THIS, AT BEST IT CAN LEAD TO A FINE, AT WORST INJURY & EVEN DEATH!
THE UNITED STATES COAST GUARD 5TH DISTRICT, AS WELL AS ALL OTHER DISTRICTS, IN RESPONSE TO A DRAMATIC INCREASE IN ACCIDENTS & FATALITIES, HAS INITIATED OPERATION BOW RIDER. THIS OPERATION FOCUSES ON THE DANGERS OF UNSAFE RECREATIONAL BOATING, SPECIFICALLY BOW RIDING.
It’s a warm day and the water is calm. The kids are enjoying the day riding on the bow of the boat. Their legs, dangling over the side, catch the water jumping up from the bow. All of sudden, a rogue wave or wake from a boat that had passed some time ago hits your boat and causes one of the kids to slide under the rail. If they are really lucky, they slide off to the side. But most times a person falling from the bow will go under the boat and get hit by the rotating blades of the prop. Don’t let this happen to any passenger on your boat.
“Recently there has been an increase in boating deaths,” commented Wally Dawson, Flotilla 33 Commander. “The primary contributing factor in 20% of the fatalities was the standing or sitting on the gunwales, bow or transom of boats.”
The United States Coast Guard 5th District, in response to a dramatic increase in accidents & fatalities has initiated operation bow rider. This operation focuses on the dangers of unsafe recreational boating, specifically bow riding.
Bow riding is more of a contributor to boating fatalities then alcohol”, said Don Gallagher, Flotilla 33’s Staff Officer For Education. “Fatalities due to alcohol were 15% of the on the water fatalities during 2008, slightly less than bow riding.” In addition to bow riding and alcohol, operator inattention, excessive speed and failure to post a lookout were also causes for recreational boating accidents.
“Senior Chief Matthew Welsh, Officer In Charge at Coast Guard Station Milford Haven, when asked responded "You wouldn’t let your child ride on the hood of the car to go to the store, but that is essentially what you are doing when you let them bow ride. Bow riding is one of the most dangerous things you can do. There's nothing worse than trying to console a parent that just accidently killed their own child."
DON'T LET A FUN DAY ON THE WATER TURN INTO A TRAGEDY,
BOAT SAFE!