The Lake Gaston Water Safety Council monthly membership meeting will be held Wednesday September 25, 2019 at the Kennon House Restaurant in Gasburg, Virginia. The meeting begins at 6PM, starting with a dutch-treat dinner. Conservation and wildlife officers from VA and NC will speak to the group about water safety issues and accidents that occurred on Lake Gaston during the 2019 boating season. The public is welcome to attend.
35 people lost their lives on North Carolina waters in 2018. 29 of them were NOT wearing a life vest. Don't be a statistic. Wear your life vest. The N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission introduced the "Preserve Your Life" campaign in 2017 to raise awareness and educate the public about the importance of life jackets. Wearing a life jacket is a simple safety precaution that can prevent tragedy from happening in the event of an accident. There's no reason to not wear a life jacket. In the end, your life may literally depend on it. Read more here: https://www.ncwildlife.org/Boating/
FARRINGTON, N.C. (WTVD) -- North Carolina's waterways are getting more crowded and more dangerous according to new data obtained by the ABC11 I-Team.
The new information from the N.C. Wildlife Commission's Law Enforcement Division reports 192 boating crashes in 2018, killing 35 people and injuring 97 others. The number of crashes is the most since 2006, while the number of fatalities is the most since 1998.
Jessica Baumann with NCSU Extension program was the speaker for July. The meeting was held at the Kennon House. She is the Lake Manager on behalf of the Lake Gaston Weed Control Council.
Information was recently provided by the NC Wildlife Commission about boating fatalities in 2018. The bottom line number is striking! "A total of 35 people lost their lives due to boating accidents last year, the highest number of vessel-related fatalities since 1990. Twenty-nine of the victims were not wearing a life vest", according to NC Wildlife.
While we think awareness is up, it would seem too many believe it can't happen. As manufacturers work to make life jackets more wearable and look jazzy, someone near the water still needs to pick it up and wear it. We all know the time to put a life jacket on is not when you are in the water.
So what to do. It's got to be a rule and if you are the skipper of your boat, walk the talk and practice what you preach.
Some good rules to live by and remember include:
Wear a Coast Guard-approved Personal Flotation Device (PFD) or a life jacket at all times when boating or on a personal watercraft. The Coast Guard advises a properly fitted life jacket is snug, yet comfortable, will not move above the chin or ears when lifted by the shoulders.
Throw, don't go. Be prepared to throw a floatation device or use a pole/tree branch to reach someone struggling in the water. Never jump in to save someone because you too could be pulled under. Our Coast Guard Auxiliary Flotilla 9-3 offers a Safe Boating Class. Look for their link and more water safety information at www.LakeGastonWaterSafetyCouncil.com.
Please be careful out there.
Lake Gaston Water Safety Council