As Weather Heats Up, Coast Guard Stresses Water Safety

OLYMPIA, WA — It's starting to finally feel like summer in the Pacific Northwest, and while it has been nice escaping the dreary winter rain, summer can bring a whole new host of dangers.

One of the biggest dangers is unsafe boating. To make sure everyone has a fun and safe time out on the water, the Coast Guard is celebrating this National Safe Boating Week with a few critical boat safety tips.

First off: the Coast Guard says it's important to remember the air may be heating up, but waters in Puget Sound remain dangerously cold. It's even cold enough to cause swimmers to lock up if they dive in unprepared. Hazardous water is one of the leading causes of drownings in the U.S., along with failure to wear a life jacket, inattention or inexperience, and alcohol and drug use.

Here are a few more tips from the Coast Guard on making your summer boat trips don't end in disaster:

• Consider taking a boating safety course. Research shows that boaters who have more extensive training and who know their equipment better are much safer out on the water.
• File a float plan. Let someone know where you are going, who you will be with and when you are expecting to return. That way, if something does go wrong, they'll know if when you don't come back.
• Always wear a life jacket. In 2019, 86 percent of drowning victims nationwide were not wearing life jackets. Federal law also requires that everyone 13 and older wear a life jacket while out on the water.
• Always boat sober. Not only is it illegal to operate a boat while intoxicated, but alcohol is the leading contributing factor in deadly boating accidents, involved in 23 percent of drowning deaths in 2019.
• Have a portable device with watertight protection. A waterproofed phone may be lifesaving if it lets you call for help. Boaters should also pack signal flares, a whistle and an emergency position-indicating radio beacon, or a personal locator beacon.

Find more boating safety tips by downloading the U.S. Coast Guard Mobile App.