6 Most Common Rumors About Alcohol and Boating from the US Coast Guard

1. Drinking alcohol while operating a boat isn’t a big deal; it’s not as dangerous as drinking and driving a car.

The fact is, alcohol is responsible for 16% of boating fatalities. It’s the leading contributing factor in recreational boating deaths. That’s a huge deal. Operating a boat with a blood alcohol content of .08 or higher is also against the law.

The operator of a boat has more variables to consider than someone driving a car. How deep is the water? Are there submerged dangers like rocks or trees? How big are the waves and what direction are they coming from?

Waterways aren’t marked by lanes, signs and street lights the same way that roads are and most boats don’t have headlights. Operating a boat is challenging enough while sober. Adding alcohol only makes it more difficult and dangerous. Exposure to sun, wind, rain, noise, vibration and motion – “stressors” common to the boating environment – intensify the side effects of alcohol, drugs, and some medications. Read Full Story

Source: http://coastguard.dodlive.mil/2014/08/6-most-common-rumors-about-alcohol-and-boating/#sthash.oQ9IB6qN.dpuf

Five things all parents should know about water safety

I am Petty Officer Tabitha Butierries, a Coast Guard search and rescue coordinator at the Fifth Coast Guard District, but today I’m writing to you as a mother of a toddler and a grade-schooler. I have been involved with Coast Guard search and rescue for more than 12 years and every time I’m involved in a case that involves the death of a child, it breaks my heart. I wanted to take a moment to remind parents out there how to keep your children safe while at the beach.

1. Watch your children while at the beach!
Even a small wave can topple a child and pull them out to sea in a very short time. Keep an eye on your kids! You wouldn’t let your kid run around unattended in a mall parking lot, and the waters at the beach can be just as dangerous. See more at: http://coastguard.dodlive.mil/2014/08/five-things-all-parents-should-know-about-water-safety/#sthash.0nh6XIht.dpuf