Watercraft Safety

As you may remember, our own Bill and Janet Vaccaro were involved in helping a woman who fell from a jet ski over the Summer. A young man, his friend and his mother were out on Lake Wallenpaupack with rented jet skis. The friend was following the woman too closely; when she fell off the jet ski, he accidentally hit her, which resulted in her sustaining head wound. The Vaccaros, who happened to be nearby, rolled out their water mat and were able to get the woman onto the mat and keep her still until the marina’s boat was able to take her to shore. She seemed to be going in and out of consciousness and was bleeding. As the Vaccaros made their way back to shore, the ambulance was just arriving. She was then airlifted to a hospital in Scranton.

This story got us thinking about boat and personal watercraft (PWC) safety. Here are some PWC safety tips from discover BOATING:

Familiarize yourself with the owner’s manual, especially the safety warnings, including the operation of the jet jump

It is recommended that you wear neoprene shorts/wetsuit for protection from high impact falls into the water

Do not board the PWC while the engine is running and keep loose-fitting clothing and long hair clear of the pump intake

Know your boating laws and familiarize yourself with the state’s restrictions

Do not exceed the PWC’s weight capacity

Learn about your specific PWC (handlebar steering, throttle control and safety lanyard)

Always wear a Coast Guard approved life jacket

Consider wearing water shoes and gloves for additional traction and grip

Always look to your sides and behind you before turning the PWC

Give other boaters, etc., lots of room and keep a safe distance from shore

Never follow directly behind other watercraft and do not attempt to spray others or jump boat wakes

If the PWC flips, look for the sticker on the stern with instructions on how to safely return the vessel to its upright position.

If you start to fall, do not try to hang on to the PWC. Re-board only when the engine is off.

Avoid environmentally sensitive areas

Recommended Safety equipment:

Handheld VHF radio and a cellphone for back-up

Hand operated bilge pump

First aid kit

Anchor and line

Flares or other distress signal

If pulling a water skier, make sure you have a skier-down flag

Much of the same common-sense rules apply to boaters. The National Safety Council and National Safe Boating Council recommend the following:

Wear a life jacket. The Coast Guard reported 76% of boating deaths in 2017 were due to drowning. Of these, 84% of drowning victims were not wearing life jackets. Make sure the life jacket fits properly and is securely fastened.

Consider taking a National Association of Boating Law Administrators safety course (boat-ed.com); familiarize yourself with state boating laws (uscgboating.org); know the rules of the road (boatoncourse.com); educate yourself about the dangers of carbon monoxide.

Before heading out onto your boat:

Dress properly and bring an extra set of clothing in case you get wet

Make sure you have a first aid kit and any tools you might need. Visit uscgboating.org for a pre-departure checklist.

Let someone you trust know your plans ahead of time

Be on the lookout for sun-related illnesses

Boat responsibly:

Do not drink and drive

Watch for changes in the weather. If you see storm clouds, notice a change in the wind or temperature, head back to shore

If you are water skiing, tubing or engaging in similar activities:

Learn how to get up out of the water and how to use a tow rope

Have a spotter on the boat and go over hand signals (safety-commonhand-signals.aspx)

Be sure the tow rope is not caught in the propeller or wrapped around yourself in any way

Wait for the propeller to stop completely before getting back into the boat

Only engage in tow-related activities during daylight hours

Stay safe and enjoy your time out on the water!