Coast Guard asks boaters to be safe after recent accidents

By Matthew Jones
The Virginian-Pilot
© May 12, 2009

PORTSMOUTH

In light of a string of recent boating accidents, some fatal, local Coast Guard and city officials are asking boaters to be more mindful in the water.

At a news conference Monday, Capt. Mark Ogle, the new commander of Sector Hampton Roads and captain of the port, said the outreach was prompted by four cases over the past two weeks.

The Coast Guard's search for Angelo Burnett, 42, who fell off a pier in Newport News early Saturday morning while trying to climb a fence, was suspended later that day. On Monday afternoon, rescuers suspended the search for an unidentified 58-year-old man who fell overboard Sunday night from a 25-foot pleasure boat near the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel.

Several factors played a role in the incidents, Ogle said. F ish are plentiful right now and, after a 2008 season when high gas prices kept people off the water, more boaters are addressing "cabin fever" by heading out.

The weather has produced choppy water, which can fatigue people. Also, many boaters who are used to boating during the day are staying out past sundown and getting disoriented.

In each case during the past two weeks in Hampton Roads, Ogle said, the people were not wearing life jackets. This simple act, he said, should be a primary consideration. Children younger than 13 are required to wear them. Everyone else is required to have them accessible and the Coast Guard recommends wearing them.

Other tips include not overloading one's boat with people or gear, not drinking while boating, taking a boating safety class and watching out for carbon monoxide exhaust when swimmers are nearby.

Pilot writer Lauren King contributed to this report.

Matthew Jones, (757) 446-2949, matthew.jones@pilotonline.com

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We do ask before

Submitted by martin3996 on Tue, 05/12/2009 at 4:28 pm.

The Coast Guard does ask people to be safe before they go boating. The problem is that you do not see our requests to wear life jackest or listing for safe boating classes in the news because the newspapers will not print them unless they are newsworthy. Now, they're newsworthy because of the recent accidents. However, if you check the free events listings, you will see that Auxiliary flotillas and other organizations offer safe boating classes, where we can teach you what you need to know to be safe on the water.