Boating Safety: How to Avoid Troubled Waters

MIAMI BEACH, FL — With lots of great weather ahead of us and the start of another sizzling summer, many folks around the country will be taking to the high seas for boating outings. South Florida tops the list of boating fatalities and accidents in the United States, ranking ahead of the entire state of California, according to first responders here. Though a relatively small percentage of boaters find themselves in trouble in the turquoise waters around the Miami area and elsewhere, it's important to be prepared.

Patch tagged along with the crew of Miami-Dade Fire Rescue's Fastboat over the busy Memorial Day Weekend to get some boating tips. We included a photo gallery of some of the colorful South Florida boaters we spotted along the way just off Miami Beach. (Sign up for our free Daily Newsletters and Breaking News Alerts for the Miami Beach Patch.)

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"Always have your safety equipment," advised Lt. Drea Hahn, who was captaining Miami-Dade Fire Rescue's Fastboat when Patch tagged along. "Life preservers, flares — if you are further offshore where you are not within range of shouting distance — noise makers, visual aids and then, also as minor as it may seem, when you go out on a day on a boat, let other people know who are on land, that you expect to be back by a certain time and how far you expect to be offshore."

In addition to remembering to make sure that all passengers wear their life preservers at all times, Hahn said that boaters can make the jobs of first responders easier — and increase their own chances of being rescued — by doing everything they can to narrow down the potential search area.

"That is critical believe it or not," she explained. "We've been able to find or locate people, or have a general idea of the range of where they are, if we know that they only intended on going fishing versus going to the Bahamas or staying near shore."

While friends and family of boaters may feel uncomfortable calling first responders with such information, they could very well save lives if they call early enough when they haven't heard from someone who doesn't come back from a boating outing when they to plan to return.

"It's far more often than you hear in the media and read in the papers," she acknowledged, noting that there's no need to be reluctant to call first responders under such circumstances. "You can either call a non-emergency number of whatever county you're in, or you can try to contact the Coast Guard and say 'I know they were supposed to be back at this time. It's been three hours.' And what they do is, even if they alert on VHF 16, which is the boater's radio, anyone see this, advise Coast Guard."

Overindulging in alcohol is always a temptation for boaters when they find themselves in a party atmosphere with their guests.

"Alcohol and boating don't mix well," Hahn said. Boat operators can have some alcohol within safe levels. "The operator cannot be under the influence."

If you are going on a boating outing this summer be sure to check the marine forecast rather than simply relying on weather forecasts from TV and radio. They typically omit some of the key information that boaters depend on to stay safe.

"One of the biggest mistakes people make, especially vessel size, they don't pay attention to the weather reports," Hahn explained. "How often have you heard small craft advisory and then you see a 20-foot boat that overturned. A small craft is actually 33 feet and smaller. That's a big boat."

The learning curve on operating a small boat can be much more significant than driving a car even though many people are able to rent boats with a driver's license.

"A car will stop when you hit the brakes," she said. "There's no brakes on a boat. Don't approach a dock any faster than you want to hit it. So, I think there's definitely a drastic learning curve for having a boat."

Lots of safety information for boaters is readily available on the Coast Guard website or through YouTube videos.

“What looks like a perfect day for boating can quickly become hazardous if you end up in the water,” added Engelbert Pacheco Vice-Flotilla Commander of the Coast Guard's Flotilla 63.

According to the agency, drowning was the reported cause of death in three-fourths of recreational boating fatalities based on 2015 figures, while 85 percent of those who drowned were not wearing life jackets.

In Florida, Gov. Rick Scott recently signed legislation reducing registration fees for boats equipped with safety features, such as an emergency position indicating radio beacon (EPIRB) or Personal Locator Beacon (PLB).

Ozzie Alvarez, who is a boat operator for Miami-Dade Fire Rescue and part of the Fastboat crew, told Patch that boating safety precautions can be as simple as taking the time to learn how to read the longitude and latitude from a GPS and how to operate a VHS 16 radio before venturing out on a boat. Mobile phone service isn't always available depending on the area.

"The Coast Guard will ask you what's your emergency? And then they'll rattle on a ton of information, whether they fell down and went boom, or they got a fish hook stuck in them or they're having a heart attack, they're having a diabetic attack," he explained. "They'll rattle on all that information but we don't know where you are at. If I know where you are at, I can start heading toward you now. I'm ready to treat anything so I can worry about it when I get there."

Here are some links to boating safety topics we found on the Coast Guard website:

• Accident Reporting
• Boater Education
• Vessel Safety Check
• Life Jacket Wear/Wearing your Life Jacket
• Going Paddling Know your limits!
• File a Float Plan
• Carbon Monoxide
• BUI Initiatives
• Shallow Water Boat Performance - FAQ
• Propeller Safety

Photos by Paul Scicchitano