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Follow Safety Steps For Safe Boating
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[size 2]Follow[/size][size 2] [/size][size 2]Safety Steps For Safe Boating[/size]

[size 2]PIERRE, S.D. – May 22-28 is National Safe Boating week, and Game, Fish and Parks officials are helping to share recreational boating safety values with South Dakota’s water enthusiasts.[/size]

[size 2]"There are five simple steps that can help people have a safe day on the water," said GFP Boating Safety Specialist Al Bahe. The National Safe Boating Council offers the following safety steps:[/size]

[size 2]Wear Your Life Jacket! [/size]
[left][size 2]Most people who are killed while pleasure boating drown—and most people who[/size][/left]

[size 2]drown are not wearing a life jacket. When a person capsizes, collides, or falls overboard, there is rarely time to get to a stowed life jacket. Modern life jackets are smaller and more comfortable making it easier than ever to "Wear It!" at all times. [/size]

[size 2]Bahe notes an excellent example for of the importance of wearing lifejackets. "There was a recent incident at Lake Poinsett where two 12-year-old boys in a paddleboat were blown away from shore and partly swamped in rough water," he said. "The water temperature was only in the 50s, and hypothermia was a definite concern had the boys ended up in the water. However, the boys stayed in the partly-swamped boat, and both were wearing lifejackets. Had they left the boat or had it capsized, the boys would have been in severe danger of hypothermia." Bahe said the boys were rescued by local lake residents who saw what was happening.[/size]

[size 2]2. Stay Sober In Your Boat! [/size]

[size 2]An operator with a blood alcohol content above .10—(equivalent to consuming five beers in one hour for the average 180-lb. male)—is 10 times more likely to die in a boating [/size]

[size 2]accident than an operator with zero blood alcohol. Stressors, such as sun, vibration, noise and other environmental elements, affect the body more when you consume alcohol. Operating a boat under the influence of alcohol or drugs is illegal in all states and violation of federal law.[/size]

[size 2]3. [/size][size 2]Take a Safe Boating Course![/size]

[size 2]Seventy percent of recreational boating accidents are caused by factors that are controlled by the boat’s operator—such as failure to pay attention, carelessness, recklessness, inexperience, excessive speed and failure to watch for hazards. Boating safety courses are available, inexpensive and quick—a great way for you to learn safety and the rules of the road.[/size]

[size 2]4. [/size][size 2]Get Your Boat Checked![/size]

[size 2]The Coast Guard Auxiliary and United States Power Squadrons® offer a free Vessel Safety Check (VSC). Contact [/size][size 2][url "http://www.vesselsafetycheck.org/"][font "Arial"][#0000ff]www.vesselsafetycheck.org[/#0000ff][/font][/url][/size][font "Arial"][size 2] for information.[/size]

[size 2]5. [/size][size 2]Be Aware of Carbon Monoxide![/size]

[size 2]All boat engines produce carbon monoxide (CO)—an odorless, colorless, poisonous gas that can kill you in a matter of minutes. Boaters are killed every year [/size]

[size 2]because of improper cabin ventilation, poorly maintained equipment, and careless behavior. You do not have to be inside the boat to be at risk. Boaters have died from exposure on the swim platforms of their boats and in other areas where carbon monoxide exhaust may accumulate or be emitted. Be aware of the early symptoms (irritated eyes, headache, nausea, weakness, and dizziness), and use CO detectors on your boat. [/size][/font]
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