| Public Affairs Detachment San Diego, Calif. U.S. Coast Guard |
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| Media Release | Date: May 19, 2005 Contact: Petty Officer Robert K. Lanier |
NATIONAL SAFE BOATING WEEK EMPHASIZES SAN DIEGO - National Safe Boating Week, an annual event sponsored by the National Safe Boating Council (NSBC), in partnership with the U.S. Coast Guard and the National Association of State Boating Law Administrators (NASBLA), is May 21-27, 2005. National Safe Boating Week calls attention to, and promotes, boating safety the week before the traditional start of the summer boating season. The primary focus of National Safe Boating Week is the new and improved life jackets, also called personal floatation devices (PFDs), which are now smaller, lighter, more comfortable, and available in a variety of styles customized for specific use. "Wearing a life jacket - not just stowing it on your boat - is the best way to stay safe on the water," states Virgil Chambers, Executive Director of the National Safe Boating Council. "That's why we urge boaters to 'Boat Smart. Boat Safe. Wear It.'" Drowning remains the number one cause of death in recreational boating accidents. Eighty-six percent of those who drowned in 2003 were not wearing life jackets. The State of California ranks number one in boating accidents (797) and number two in boating fatalities (61), according to U.S. Coast Guard's "Boating Statistics 2003," which is the most recent publication on reported recreational boating accidents. A full report can be found at http://www.uscgboating.org/statistics/accident_stats.htm. Click here to obtain additional information:
For more information on National Safe Boating Week, the Boating Safety Campaign, or to interview a member of the Coast Guard or Coast Guard Auxiliary concerning boating safety, contact Petty Officer Robert K. Lanier, 11th Coast Guard District Public Affairs - San Diego, at (619) 683-6552, phone or (619) 247-5064, mobile. |
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