The nice weather over the weekend may have prompted some to thing about summertime and boating.
Boating fatalities were a topic of discussion last week when Pennsylvania Fish & Boat Commission officials appeared before state lawmakers.
Colonel Corey Britcher, Director of the Bureau of Law Enforcement for the commission, said 11 people died in boating incidents in 2016, including 3 in one accident.
“More than half of those incidents, including the triple fatality, involved alcohol,” Britcher said.
Boaters are reminded that they must wear a life jacket while boating or at anchor on boats less than 16 feet in length or on any canoe or kayak between Nov. 1 and April 30 on all Pennsylvania waters.
“Life jackets are the most important piece of safety equipment on a boat,” Ryan Walt, PFBC Boating and Watercraft Safety Manager, said in a statement. “According to Pennsylvania’s boating accident reports, almost 80 percent of all boating fatalities happen to boaters not wearing a life jacket. A disproportionate number of the fatalities occur during the months of November through April. During these cold weather months, boaters are especially at risk due to the water temperature and the risk of sudden cold water immersion.”
Written By: Kayla Molczan for the Butler Radio Network
