CARELESSNESS LEADS TO DANGER ON WATER; BOATING SAFETY URGED

Buckle up, stay sober and don't overdo fun in the sun.

That's the advice to boaters from the U.S. Coast Guard, Corps of Engineers, National Safe Boating Council and the Missouri and Illinois departments of conservation.

Holidays and weekends can be the most dangerous of times for travelers because of the increases in traffic. But they can also be dangerous to boaters and swimmers, say Joe A. Corbin and Michael McClendon of the U.S. Corps of Engineers at Clearwater Lake and Wappapello Lake, respectively.

"Sunny weekends are most dangerous," said Corbin. "And, a holiday weekend adds to the safety threats. More boaters are on the water."

More than 30 years ago, when a special week was set aside for Safe Boating Week, there about five million recreational boats in the U.S. That figure has now grown to more than 17 million boats.

McClendon pointed out that a great number of water-related accidents occur between 2:30-4:30 p.m.

"By that time of day, boaters become less careful due to such stress factors as the sun, motion of the boat, fatigue, and/or alcohol consumption," said McClendon.

"The best advice I can give to people is don't drink and mix water activities and also to have a PFD (personal flotation device) on at all times when in the water," said McClendon. "Too many times, people will try to do things in the water that their body just won't let them do if they have been drinking."

Corps data shows that about 80 percent of water-accident victims were not wearing PFDs.

With the increase in the number of boats each year, there has been a rise in the number of boating accidents. Over the past two years more than 12,000 boating accidents have been reported nationwide, resulting in more than 1,500 deaths and over 5,000 injuries.

The Missouri Water Patrol says it has logged more than twice the number of boating fatalities this year than during the same period a year ago.

A Water Patrol spokesman said recently his office had recorded 10 fatal boating accidents between Jan. 1 and June 14. During the same period last year, four people died in boating accidents.

Illinois officials recorded 179 boating accidents in 1991 involving 224 watercraft.

"Those figures are up about 23 percent from the same totals of 1990," said Brent Manning, director of the Illinois Department of Conservation. "A total of 31 deaths were reported in 1991, with a third of them linked to alcohol."

As a result, the department has stepped up its patrols on many of Illinois' lakes and rivers this holiday weekend, said Manning.

At Rend Lake near Benton, one of Southern Illinois' most popular waterways, authorities planned to triple the number of patrol boats for the holiday weekend, noted a Corps of Engineers park ranger.

Manning and Missouri Water Patrol spokesman, Sgt. Steve Payne, urge boaters to use the same precautions as motorists.

"Employing a designated operator concept could prevent many boating accidents," said Manning. "But, it goes farther than the driver. Passengers who drink will always be at risk, no matter what causes a boat to capsize, because their abilities and judgments are greatly impaired."

Nationwide, alcohol is estimated to be involved in more than 50 percent of boating accidents.

According to Payne, alcohol consumption and boating in adverse weather contribute to many boating accidents each year. Drinking impairs judgment for boat operators just as it does for automobile drivers, said Payne. "And, heavy rain can create dangerous conditions on even modest-sized streams or obscure a boater's view of approaching hazards. Impaired visibility also is a contributing factor in many nighttime boating accidents.

"It's important not to be careless, even when you're relaxing," said Payne.

Payne said one of the safety precautions most often neglected by boaters is wearing personal flotation devices. He said even skilled swimmers sometimes need PFDs. A boater who is knocked unconscious in a collision, or whose clothing becomes entangled in submerged debris can drown if not buoyed by a PFD.

"Many of the lives lost to drowning in Missouri each year could have been saved if people had worn their life jackets," said Payne. "If people would wear life jackets, that would cut down on boating deaths more than almost anything else."

"Last year, people died in rivers as big as the Mississippi and as small as the Jacks Fork," said Payne. "Drownings occurred in large lakes and in farm ponds. The size of the water or your familiarity with it is no guarantee of safety. But your chances of survival are a lot better if you're wearing a PFD when a boating accident happens."

Officials also say it is not the movement and speed that account for all boating accidents.

"Not all accidents involve boats which have motors," said McClendon. "National statistics show that of 896 deaths in 1989, 255 occurred with non-powered boats."

McClendon also urges boaters to tell someone where they're heading.

Although there is no requirement for boat operators to be licensed, free boating education courses should be on the "must" list of any boat owner, water safety experts say.

"These courses are given by the U.S. Power Squadrons, the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary, the American Red Cross and some state boating agencies," said McClendon. "They teach the basic rules of the nautical road, including boat safety, piloting, navigation, weather and marine engines."