Narragansett Police Offer Boating, Beach Safety Tips For Summer 2023

NARRAGANSETT, RI — Narragansett Police Chief Sean Corrigan on Thursday shared some tips to keep residents and visitors safe while boating or visiting a beach this summer.

According to the National Safe Boating Council, in 2022, the U.S. Coast Guard recorded 4,040 recreational boating accidents. From those crashes, there were 658 deaths and 2,222 injuries. Where the cause of death was known, 85 percent of drowning victims in recreational boating accidents were not wearing a life jacket in 2022.

The top five primary contributing factors in accidents were operator inattention, operator inexperience, improper lookout, excessive speed, and machinery failure. Corrigan said boaters should remain vigilant and follow all safety guidelines.

The Narragansett Police Department shared the following boating tips, courtesy of the National Safety Council:

• Boaters should wear life jackets any time they are on a boat, motorized or non-motorized. Every child should wear a life jacket at all times when boating.
• Make sure you're wearing the proper life jacket and that it is a proper fit for your size and weight. Make sure the jacket is properly fastened.
  • In Rhode Island, all operators and passengers of canoes, kayaks, sailboards, kiteboards, paddleboards, and any other paddle craft must always wear a United States Coast Guard-approved personal flotation device while underway regardless of age.
• Be familiar with the state laws. Contact your local Coast Guard auxiliary, power squadron, or Red Cross for details about taking a boating safety course.
• Before setting out, check that your equipment is in good working order and get a free vessel safety check with your local U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary or U.S. Power Squadron.
• Review a pre-departure checklist to ensure you have everything you need in your boat, including a tool kit and first-aid kit.
• Tell a trusted person where you are going and when you expect to return. If you change plans, let them know.
• Check the forecast and keep your weather radio with you for updated reports. Once on the water, use common sense as a situation can arise or the weather can turn at any time. If you notice storm clouds, a sudden temperature drop or wind speed increasing, play it safe and get off the water.
• Never boat under the influence of alcohol or drugs. Alcohol use is the leading contributing factor in fatal boating accidents. Alcohol use can impair a boater’s judgment, balance, vision and reaction time, and sun, wind, noise, vibration and motion —“stressors” common to the boating environment— intensify the effects of alcohol, drugs, and some medications.

Boaters are also encouraged to learn and practice the “man overboard” drill. It is as important on a small boat as it is on an ocean liner to know the proper procedure for retrieving someone who has fallen overboard, police said.

Narragansett police also offered the following tips, courtesy of the Red Cross, for enjoying a safe trip to the beach:

• When at the beach, ocean or other open water environment, be aware of changing tides; fast-moving currents and waves, even in shallow water; drop-offs that unexpectedly change water depth; hazards, such as underwater obstacles, rocks and debris; and other people’s activities, such as boating.
• Leave the water immediately in the case of thunder or lightning.
• Never swim alone, regardless of your age or level of swimming skills.
• Keep within your fitness and swimming capabilities.
• Know what to do in a water emergency – including how to safely help someone in trouble in the water, call for emergency help and CPR.
• Be aware of rip currents. If you are caught in a rip current, stay calm. Don’t fight the current. Swim parallel to the shore until you are out of the current. Then, turn and swim to shore. Alternatively, float or tread water until you are free of the rip current and then go to shore.
• Don’t become a victim while trying to help someone else caught in a rip current. Get help from a lifeguard. If a lifeguard isn’t present, yell instructions on how to escape. If possible, throw the rip current victim something that floats.

Lastly, pay attention to beach warning flags in Rhode Island. A colored flag system is used to denote ocean conditions each day at state beaches. State beaches in Narragansett include Roger Wheeler, Scarborough North and Scarborough South, and Salty Brine. Learn more here.