As boaters head to the water, a quick refresher course can save a life...

Published June 5, 2005 (Rod Sanford/Lansing State Journal) Cruising along: Michigan ranked No. 1 in the nation last year with 944,800 registered boats - about one boat per 10 people. Lake Lansing (above) is a popular spot for local boaters. PLAY IT SAFE When it comes to boating safety, there are both laws and common-sense suggestions. Here are key state requirements, plus officials' advice: Life preservers • The law: There must be a personal flotation device (PFD) in the boat for each person; it must be Coast Guard-approved in Type I, II or III (all vests) or Type IV (ring or cushion). Kids 5 and younger must wear a vest (Type I or II); others can have a PFD nearby. Also, any boat 16 feet or longer needs an extra, throwable ring or cushion. • Suggestion: Have everyone strap on a vest, not just the kids. "In dive teams, there's a saying that we've never recovered a body wearing a life preserver," said Sgt. Vernon Elliott, an Ingham County sheriff's deputy. Operator's age • The law: Kids of any age can operate a boat with a putt-putt motor of 6 horsepower or less; they can operate a boat with 7-35 hp, if someone 16 or older is supervising. Kids between 12-15 can operate a boat of any power, if there's someone 16 or older onboard - or if they've passed the Department of Natural Resources boating course. Ages 16 and up can operate legally. • Suggestion: Take a course, whether required or not. Capacity • The law: Each boat has a passenger limit. "They've got a capacity plate," said Sgt. William Johnson, a Barry County sheriff's deputy. "The old ones were hard to read, but not the new ones." • Suggestion: Avoid overloading in general. Alcohol • The law: It's the same as for a car: Driving is illegal with a blood-alcohol concentration of 0.10 percent or higher. • The suggestion: Soda pop is nice. The DNR suggests: "Don't drink and boat." Other laws • For a personal watercraft (a Jet-Ski, for instance), everyone must wear a life vest. It must be Type I or II for kids younger than 12, Type I or II or III for others. A child younger than 7 can ride on or behind one only if a parent, guardian or designee of the parent or guardian is there. • Water-skiing or towing requires an observer other than the driver. Also, the skier must wear a life vest - Type I or II for younger than 12, Type I or II or III for others. Sources: Interviews; "The Handbook of Michigan Boating Laws and Responsibilities," from DNR. As boaters head to the water, a quick refresher course can save a life By Mike Hughes Lansing State Journal When warm weather finally arrives, Michigan life can seem serene and seductive. People bring out their boats, almost a million of them. They find water pleasures - and, sometimes, dangers. Pat Sharpnack, of Delta Township, saw an example of that last month. Visiting a friend in Lake Jordan, 30 miles west of Lansing, she witnessed a tragedy. A canoe had overturned; three adults and a 2-year-old were in danger. "Nobody knew how to swim," Sharpnack said. "There wasn't a life jacket. Even the baby had no flotation device." A neighbor zoomed to the rescue on a Jet Ski-type personal watercraft. "She's a hero," said Sgt. William Johnson, a Barry County sheriff's deputy who responded to the call. Three of the people were rescued. However, the child's teen-aged father drowned. Unfortunately, that happens in a state filled with water. There were 170 boating accidents last year, government figures show, including 26 fatalities. The numbers have dropped as the state tightened its laws. There were 88 fatalities in 1967, the Michigan Boating Industries Association says. Since then, the number of boats has almost tripled but the number of fatalities has fallen by 70 percent. Still, many rules are unknown or unheeded. That includes: • Life jackets. Only eight of the 26 people killed in boating accidents last year were wearing one, Gary Mitchell of the Michigan Association of Insurance Agents told the Associated Press. • Buoys. "There are a lot of first-time boat owners out there, and they don't seem to know what the buoys are for," said Pat Witte, manager of the Lake Lansing parks in Haslett. They get too close to the swimming and pedal-boat areas. • Alcohol. That was a factor in about half the fatalities, state figures indicated. "You get out on the water, in the warmth, with the waves, and people's reactions are already slow," said Vernon Elliott, who is both a boater and an Ingham County sheriff's deputy. "Now if you add alcohol, the effect is stronger." That gets more complicated on a crowded day. Lake Lansing has sailboats and Jet Skis sharing space; Lake Jordan, alongside the city of Lake Odessa, is also popular. "It can get busy," Johnson said. "You get out on the water; you're having fun. You're distracted." Still, the worst accidents sometimes happened during uncomplicated times. The most recent Ingham boating fatality came in the late 1990s, Elliott said. One man was relaxing in a small boat. "He didn't have the required lighting. Another boater ran right into him." The Jordan Lake fatality also came during an uncrowded time. That was shortly after 1 p.m. on Tuesday, May 10. "It was one of those beautiful, sunshiney days we didn't have many of in May," Sharpnack said. Locally, the temperature reached 80. Sharpnack was visiting a Lake Jordan friend. "We heard some yelling, but we didn't know what it was," she said. "Then we heard it again." They ran to the shore and saw the scene: Jeri Hendershot, 22, was sitting on an overturned canoe with her daughter Alexia, 2. Robert Kelley, 30, was holding onto the canoe. Farther away was Alexia's father, Thomas Herblet, 19. "He couldn't have been more than 20 feet from them," Sharpnack said. "He kept bobbing in the water." Sharpnack and her friend didn't have a boat that could reach them in time. "I really thought there was no way we were going to save them," she said. That's when a neighbor, Debra Smith, raced to the rescue on her personal watercraft. Smith, a prison guard, focused first on the 2-year-old. That's when Herblet went down for the final time. Soon, two units - one from a State Police post, another from Barry County - arrived. They didn't find Herblet in time. The accident left people perplexed. "They were only about 100 yards from shore," Johnson said. One theory is that Herblet panicked in the icy water, when he was trying to pull the others to shore. Lake Jordan was choppy that day, Johnson said. "It was not a good day to be in an overloaded canoe, without life jackets." Those factors are covered by state laws. There must be one life preserver for each person; young kids (under age 6), water skiers and Jet-skiers must be wearing them. And boats list a capacity in people and in pounds. There are many such rules. Drunken boating, Elliott said, faces the same restrictions as drunken driving. "I wish people would just leave the alcohol until they get back on shore. Or, at least, have a designated boater." Not all the rules are easy to find. (People can check www.michigan.gov/dnr or get a DNR booklet.) State budget cuts have taken away money for classes, Elliott said. The only ones in Ingham County schools this year were in Holt, which paid for them separately. Meanwhile, the water, like everything else, gets more complicated. That includes the rise of the personal watercraft, such as Jet Skis. They bring a long set of extra requirements, including classes and certificates. They're safe, Elliott said, once people allow for quirks. "The problem is that they are so quick and can turn so sharp," he said. "They're smaller than boats and sometimes harder to see." A personal watercraft might sometimes be considered an annoyance. On one tragic day on Jordan Lake, it was considered heroic. WATERWORLD Boating dominates Michigan. The Michigan Boating Industries Association gathered examples, using numbers from the state Department of Natural Resources, Michigan State University and others. The state has: • 11,037 inland lakes. Also, 36,350 miles of rivers and streams. • Quick access to four of the five Great Lakes. No point in the state is more than 85 miles from one. • 944,800 registered boats in 2004, No. 1 in the nation; that's about one boat per 10 people. • 40 boat manufacturers, 460 dealers and 758 marinas that can handle 10 or more boats. In all, there are 64,368 wet slips for boats; there are also 1,406 sites with public access to water. • A side note: Just over half the boats are less than 16 feet long. The typical boat (according to 1998 statistics) is used 29 days a year. More boaters, fewer deaths There are more boaters and fewer boating deaths these days, the boating industry says. The Michigan Boating Industries Association makes this comparison, using Department of Natural Resources figures: • 1967: 88 boating deaths; 385,124 boats registered in the state. That's one death per 4,376 boats. • 2003: 29 deaths; 957,454 boats. That's one per 33,129 boats. In other words, fatalities were almost eight times more likely in 1967. • The Eaton County Sheriff's Department offers free boating safety classes, 6-8:30 p.m. Monday through Wednesday, 1025 Independence Blvd., Charlotte; call to register. Info: 543-3512, ext. 390, or 372-8217, ext. 90. Accident figures drop In recent years, the number of Michigan boats and boating fatalities has been relatively stagnant. However, the overall number of accidents has been trimmed to one-third its old level. Here's a comparison, using figures the Associated Press gathered from the state Department of Natural Resources and the Michigan Association of Insurance Agents: • Boats registered: 980,341 in 1998; 944,800 in 2004. • Accidents: 514 in 1998, 170 in 2004. • Fatalities: 25 in 1998, 26 in 2004. Contact Mike Hughes at 377-1156 or mhughes@lsj.com. http://www.lansingstatejournal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050605/THINGS0109/506050312

Aloft.... 

Report on State Boating Accidents

06/04/05 Report includes number of state boating accidents By Paul Ertelt Capitol Bureau ALBANY — They took to the water last summer in canoes, kayaks and motorboats. Some were young, and some were old. Some had been drinking, but others were sober. Most were not wearing life jackets, and now they’re dead. Of the 18 people who died in boating accidents in New York last year, 13 drowned, according to a report by the state Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation. Of the drowning victims, 11 were not wearing life jackets. Another drowning victim was wearing a life vest that was improperly inflated. There were no boating deaths last year in Otsego, Delaware, Schoharie or Chenango counties, and 2004 was a relatively safe year foAdvertisement r boaters statewide. The death toll was roughly half of 2003’s, when 34 people died in boating accidents, and the state’s second lowest since 1980. About half of the boating deaths involved canoes and kayaks, according to the report. Kayaks aren’t inherently dangerous, but kayakers need to be properly equipped and know how to handle their boats, said Jason Smith, manager of Adirondack Lakes & Trails Outfitters in Saranac Lake. Anyone who rents a canoe or kayak from Adirondack Lakes must sign a statement saying they will wear a life vest, he said. Ernie Gardner, the 80-year-old owner of Cold Brook Canoes in Ulster County, has been canoeing and kayaking for decades and has always worn a life jacket. But a good friend who bought a kayak a few years ago refused to wear one. What's Related "When they found his body, he was not wearing his vest. It was jammed up in his kayak when they found his kayak," Gardner said. Kayaking has become increasing popular in recent years, and inexpensive kayaks are readily available. Many are sold at "big box" stores, but those stores don’t always provide the buyer with all the necessary safety information, Smith said. Although cool, wet weather was partly responsible for the decline, tougher laws and better enforcement also have made New York’s waterways safer, said Wendy Gibson, spokesman for the Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation. Last year, nearly 38,000 people took safe-boating courses in New York, up from about 8,200 in 2000. The increase resulted mostly from a law phased in over several years that required such training for riders of personal watercraft, Gibson said. There were 32 accidents last year involving PWC, which was down from 117 in 1999. Also, in 2003, the legal blood-alcohol limit for boaters was lowered from 0.1 percent to 0.08 percent. http://www.thedailystar.com/news/stories/2005/06/04/noo5.html

Wooden Decks.... 

Anchors away?? 

Crew Only.... 

Boating Tips?

Burlington, Vermont - June 3, 2005 Warm weather finally means the launch of boating season. And on a beautiful day, safety may not be the first thing on boaters' minds. So before you head out full speed ahead, the Coast Guard auxiliary says to check your boat. "Make sure the boat is in good mechanical condition, obviously, you don't want to get out in the middle of the water and need help. There aren't that many gas stations out there," says Vice Captain Rod Halsted of the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary. Halsted says boats should have a working fire extinguisher, an anchor and enough line, navigational lights, flares, and a marine radio or cell phone to call the coast guard for help. And, of course, enough life jackets for everyone on board. Vermont state law requires all kids under 12 to wear life jackets. But not all of them do, all of the time. "On a really nice hot day, life jackets aren't necessarily the most comfortable thing to wear all the time, particularly if you're a young kid, you don't understand why you should be wearing them," says Halsted. So the Coast Guard and other law enforcement agencies are offering an incentive for kids who wear them. Coupons for free Happy Meals at McDonald's. "This just gives them a reward for doing the right thing, doing the safe thing and that's important." And hopefully, it will keep kids around to become veteran boaters themselves. http://www.wcax.com/Global/story.asp?S=3430544

Nice tender..... 

Child Recovering After Near Drowning..How Could This Have Been Prevented?

Chester child recovering after nearly drowning CHRISTINE SCOTT - Standard Journal ST. ANTHONY - The little 8-year-old girl involved in last Saturday's boating accident near the Chester Dam in Fremont County is doing well, her father says. Mike and Marvel Sedgwick of Chester are at Primary Children's Hospital in Salt Lake City with their daughter Christina, who is reportedly in good condition. "She is no longer on the ventilator," Sedgwick says. "She's doing great and will be able to eat solid foods again in a few days." Sedgwick says she is on antibiotics for strep pneumonia. He says she is responding well and should be able to come home in about a week. After she was revived at the scene, Christina was taken by Air Idaho to Eastern Idaho Regional Medical Center in Idaho Falls before being transferred to Primary Children's Hospital Saturday. She was rescued from the water by Martine Cruz of Blackfoot, given cardiopulmonary resuscitation by her mother and James Thomason. Mike Thomason, Jim Nelson and Joe Sites and many others also helped, a news release from the Fremont County Sheriff's office says. Sedgwick says Christina, her brother and two teenage sisters were boating on the Henry's Fork near the Chester Dam when the boat's motor stopped. Her father says his 20-year-old son tried to restart the motor. When he couldn't get the motor going, he tried paddling with only one paddle. The other paddle was being used in another boat. Sedgwick says the older teenagers went into the water to get the boat away from the spillway. He says he was told Christina panicked, jumped from the boat and went over the spillway and was pulled under by the swift current. Christina's father says his four children were pulled from the water by a man (apparently Cruz.) "I don't even know his name. I just know he saved my children's lives. He pulled my kids out. He risked his own life for theirs. I don't know how to thank him." Sedgwick seemed flabbergasted by the way everyone responded at the scene. "This is a wonderful community," he says. "There were so many people, people with air tanks in case they had to go down for her body, ambulance people, police, the medical people in the helicopter. How do you thank so many people for the lives of your children http://www.rexburgstandardjournal.com/articles/2005/06/03/news/news02.txt

Beautiful Day on the Water..... 

Jacksonville's Finest!! 

Ships wheels.... 

Beautiful Ship in Jacksonville!! 

3 Die in Holiday Crashes

3 die in holiday crashes Last update: June 02, 2005 Memorial Day weekend was deadly in Volusia County, with at least three people killed in traffic accidents, out of 24 road deaths statewide, the Florida Highway Patrol said Wednesday. No fatalities were reported in Flagler County. The Volusia County Sheriff's Office joined in a statewide campaign called "Click It or Ticket," which enforced seat belt safety. During the holiday weekend, deputies issued 1,882 citations and arrested at least 57 people for driver's license violations. A total of 946 drivers were cited for speeding, 12 for aggressive driving and 527 for violating seat belt or child-protection regulations. "These types of traffic operations have a definite positive impact on the safety of the motoring public," said Sgt. James Whittet, a Sheriff's Office supervisor in the traffic enforcement unit. "Strict enforcement saves lives." Throughout the northeast region, which includes Volusia and Flagler counties, at least eight people were injured in boating accidents over the three-day weekend. Thirty-six people were charged with boating under the influence, according to Joy Hill, spokeswoman for the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. http://www.news-journalonline.com/NewsJournalOnline/News/WestVolusia/03WVolWEST02060205.htm

Investigation Underway in Fatal Boating Accident

Investigation underway in fatal boating accident By DAVE SHELTON JOHNS PASS – A Wesley Chapel man could face homicide charges in the deaths of two personal watercraft riders after his powerboat collided with their vessel Saturday night. One witness said a 29-foot twin-hulled powerboat was going fast when it approached a circling Ski-Doo in Boca Ciega Bay at about 6 p.m. May 22. The boat and ski-Doo collided about a quarter-mile east of John’s Pass. “When I saw this boy, well, young man, flying through the air I first thought he’d jumped,” said a woman who witnessed the crash from the boardwalk at St. John’s Pass. “Then, I saw the seat flying and I knew it was bad.” Killed in the crash were Corey Vincent, 19, of Madeira Beach, and a close friend whom she had grown up with in Connecticut, Joseph Battista, 23, of Clinton, Conn. Both appeared to have died from injuries sustained in the impact with the larger vessel, according to Bill Pellan, director of investigations for the Pinellas-Pasco Medical Examiner’s office. Miguel A. Alvarado, 38, of Wesley Chapel drove the powerboat, according to Lt. Gary Morse, state Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. Morse said Alvarado and several passengers in his boat weren’t injured in the crash. Fish and Wildlife investigators are interviewing nearly two dozen witnesses and are awaiting the outcome of a blood alcohol level test on Alvarado before determining how the crash happened, according to Morse. He said the investigation could take three to six weeks. Morse said that boat operators face the same kinds of charges that motor vehicle operators could face in a fatal crash. He said reckless or drunken operation of a boat could lead to felony charges. Vincent is the daughter of James and Judith Dowd. The practically new Sea-Doo was registered to Judith Dowd, according to Morse. This is the second fatal crash this year in the Tampa Bay area involving personal watercraft. Pinellas County leads the state in the number of fatal boating accidents. According to state records, there have already been 45 boating fatalities in Florida this year compared to 68 in 12 months last year. A Michigan man joined those statistics April 1 when he was killed on a rented personal watercraft that was slammed into by one being driven by his teenage son. According to the state Wildlife Conservation Commission, there were seven boating fatalities in Pinellas County last year. Statistics show that personal watercraft account for more boating accidents than their share of boat types. The state data show that while personal watercraft represent just 2.1 percent of all registered boats in Florida, they recorded 43 percent of all accidents last year. The most recent boating fatality happened April 1 in the middle of Clearwater Harbor near the Sand Key U.S. Coast Guard station. Of more than 1,000 accidents reported last year involving personal watercraft, 104 involved rented boats, according to the Wildlife Commission report. Across the state, 12 percent of all boating fatalities involved personal watercraft and they accounted for 31 percent of all boating injuries. And, the commission reported, of nearly 24,000 citations issued last year for violation of state boating regulations, 930 were issued to personal watercraft operators.