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Boater Safety |
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I.
Pre-Boating Safety
A) Generate a float plan and give to a family member. This float plan should include where you are going and your expected return time. This is crucial in an event of an incident where there is poor cell phone coverage and you are unable to contact help. B) Make
sure your boat contains the appropriate number of life jackets.
In 2002, 455 drowning deaths could have been prevented if the
victim was wearing a US Coast Guard approved life jacket. C) Make
sure there is some form of communication device to warn others in case
of an emergency. This may
include a cell phone, marine-band radio, signal flares, or whistle. D) Make
sure you observe the weather before you head out on the water.
Lake Oahe and other major waterways in South Dakota a notorious
for becoming treacherous in relatively short periods of time during
weather changes. Once you
are on the water, continue to monitor the skies for any indication of
weather changes. E)
Make
sure your boat has plenty of fuel before leaving the dock. F)
Make
sure you have a full fire extinguisher on your boat and it is easily
accessible in case of a fire. G)
Check
onboard navigational lights to ensure they are in good working order. H)
Consider
attending first aid and CPR classes.
Always carry a first aid kit in your boat. For more information, contact the Pierre chapter of the
American Red Cross. II.
Boating Operations
A) B) If
boating in unfamiliar waters, reduce your speed to avoid encountering
submerged structures such as trees or sandbars. C) Be
conscious of other boaters in the area.
When approaching other boats, following general traffic rules.
(Stay to the right when approaching a boat head-on, or yield to a boat
on the right when crossing paths). D)
Watch
for flags on the water that may indicate a diver in the area.
These flags are red in color with a white diagonal stripe.
You must stay at least 100 feet from these flags. III.
In case of an accident
A) If
a person from your boating party has fallen overboard, do NOT take your
eyes off of the victim. Throw
a life preserver or rope to the victim.
If the person submerges below the water, look to a shore-based
landmark so you can tell rescuers exactly where you lost sight of the
victim. This is known as
the “last point seen”. B) DO
NOT PANIC. Becoming
panicked only intensifies the situation and leads to bad decisions. C) Call
911 on your cell phone or switch to Channel 16 on your marine-band radio
and request emergency assistance. If
you boat is not equipped with either of these two services, signal other
boaters in the area for assistance. D) If
equipped with a GPS unit, relay your exact location to emergency
services. This will help
expedite the emergency response. E) When
emergency personnel are in your line of sight, use a signaling device
such as a flare, horn, or light to alert them of your location. IV.
Hypothermia A) Hypothermia
is a condition that exists when the body’s temperature drops below
ninety-five degrees. B) The
loss of body heat results in loss of dexterity, loss of consciousness,
and eventually loss of life. A few minutes in cold water makes it very
difficult to swim, even to keep yourself afloat. In addition, a sudden
entry into cold water may cause a reflexive "gasp" known as
torso reflex, allowing water to enter the lungs. Drowning can be almost
instantaneous. C)
Your
body can cool down 25 times faster in cold water than in air. If you
examine the chart below you will see that survival time can be as short
as 15 minutes. Water temperature, body size, amount of body fat, and
movement in the water all play a part in cold water survival. Small
people cool faster than large people and children cool faster than
adults.
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