boating safety News

New Safety Rules for Arizona Boaters Being Considered

Arizona regulators are considering new boating rules that are designed to boost safety and better oversee rental operations. The rules being proposed by the Arizona Game and Fish Department include a ban on boaters towing people from swim platforms at …

South Carolina Deaths Spur Waterway Safety Proposals

The parents of two young women killed in separate watercraft accidents last year are hoping South Carolina lawmakers take steps to improve water safety and spare others their grief. Two senators who have put forward proposals they say are meant …

West Virgina Reports Decline in Boating Fatalities

Recreational boating fatalities are continuing to decline in West Virginia. Statistics released by the U.S. Coast Guard show three people were killed in boating accidents in 2013. That’s down from four in 2012, eight in 2011 and 2010, and 15 …

More Than $570,000 Awarded to Ohio for Boating Safety

The state is awarding more than $570,000 from its Waterways Safety Fund to 23 community public safety agencies. The Ohio Department of Natural Resources says the grants ranging from around $13,500 to $32,000 are funded by Ohio’s recreational boaters through …

Idaho Senator Seeks Clarification of Boating Safety Laws

A Senate committee agreed Idaho’s boating laws governing gross negligence are too vague and backed a measure aiming to help judges mete out appropriate punishments for mariners who put others’ lives at risk. The bill, which cleared the Senate Judiciary …

Jetpack Industry Zooms Toward Expansion

Miguel Endara nervously stepped on the edge of a boat on Biscayne Bay with a 30-pound machine strapped to his back. The machine had two pipes sticking out and a 33-foot hose that connected to a Jet Ski. The instructor …

Missouri/Kansas See Increase in Drowning Deaths

Water patrol officials in Kansas and Missouri say a combination of factors has led to more drownings so far this year than in all of 2012. In Missouri, 24 drownings were reported before the weekend, four more than last year. …

Georgia Program Shines Light on Dangerous Lake Waters

An effort to put solar-powered lights on navigation markers and buoys on Georgia’s Lake Lanier is moving forward with agreement from the previously resistant U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The Gainesville-based Lake Lanier Association was able to sway the corps …