National Safe Boating Week in May
Boaters are dying because they don’t wear life jackets!
A startling number of boating accident deaths occur each year, because people are not wearing a life jacket. The leading cause of these deaths was drowning. Rear Admiral James A. Watson, the Director of Prevention Policy of the United States Coast Guard, stated that in over two thirds of fatal boating accidents, people weren’t wearing life jackets. National Safe Boating Week (May 22 to 28, 2010) is designed to help us with this tragic situation.
The United States Power Squadrons and its local squadron members nationwide encourage all recreational boaters to wear a life jacket. It also recommends that the over 70 million recreational boaters in the U.S., without boating training register for a safe boating course to protect them and their families.
Greg Scotten, the Chairman of the USPS Marketing/PR Committee reminds us that, “This year, in the weeks leading up to and following National Safe Boating Week, over 450 locations will be offering programs in America’s Boating Course 3rd Edition as well as critical seminars and demonstration days.”
Scotten encourages all recreational boaters to take personal responsibility for their safety and that of their passengers. Simply go to www.usps.org and click on “Take A Boating Course” to find a local program taught in a short classroom session. He said people can also call 1-888-FOR-USPS for more information.
The Power Squadron members remind us: “Boating is fun . . . we’ll show you how.”