|
Kevin
|
 |
« on: June 30, 2010, 07:01:23 am » |
|
Staying safe on the water
Indianapolis - The middle of summer is one of the busiest times on the lakes in Indiana and while it can be fun, there are some serious risks on the water.
When boating, it is easy to get caught up in the scenery or water activities. That means, many people will be driving the boat in one direction but looking behind them to keep an eye on a water skier or another person in tow.
So, experts say the first step is to make sure the person operating the boat has their eyes looking in the direction they're going and they say boat operators can't assume they have the right of way.
For safety's sake, let other boats pass whether you think they have the right of way or not. You can't go wrong if you just steer clear of any other boats headed your way.
"If you're meeting head on steer to the right to pass each other. On the port side, both boats need to do that," said Lt. Mark Farmer, Department of Natural Resources.
They say if you do have someone attached to the boat, you want to find areas that no one else is using or you want to ski along a shore or in long straight lines. That keeps you in a constant line that other boats can predict versus cutting across traffic.
"For the most part, people pay closer attention on weekends because of the increase in activity. The worst wreck I can remember that happened on Geist years ago happened on a weekday. Two boats collided at a point and neither boat was paying attention," Duckwall said.
Another tip for boaters, If you have portable gas tanks you want to make sure they are fitted properly and that the gas line is sound. So there is no leaking gas, because it takes very little vapor to create a large explosion.
In Indiana it is law to have enough wearable life jackets for everyone on the boat and boats over 16 feet need to have the life jackets plus a boat cushion or ring.
DNR is launching a new campaign this weekend called "Wear It Indiana" to make sure everyone is wearing their life jackets.
Investigators say alcohol usually is the driving force behind not only boating accidents but also swimming fatalities.
The Director at Geist Lake Marina, Kent Duckwall says, it often spurs people to believe they can swim across a lake, but then they end up running out of energy when they get midway and go under.
DNR and Geist Marina say they will also be stepping up their patrols to crack down on drinking and boating.
Another danger is the depth of the water. In most lakes swimmers cannot see the bottom, so, experts advise those who are diving to jump in feet first to gage how deep the water is. Diving head first into shallow waters could result in a broken neck.
A final tip, experts remind parents to keep an eye on their kids. It may sound obvious but they've had situations where one parent assumes another parent is watching, but neither one is actually paying attention and a child ends up drowning.
"It's a good idea to designate someone to watch the kids then switch off. Make sure someone is assigned to keep an eye on them especially in a large group of kids together in the pool, water of all sort," said Lt. Farmer.
Unrated
You must be logged in to rate this story. Login or register
Comments
Terms of Use: We welcome your participation in our community. Please keep your comments civil and on point. You must be at least 13 years of age to post comments. By submitting a comment, you agree to these Terms of Service
You must be logged in to leave a comment. Login or register
Use my avatar from...
No avatar
My computer
My Facebook Profile
My Google Profile
My Twitter Account
My FriendFeed Account
My Yahoo! Account
Gravatar email
LoginLogin with:
My Facebook Profile
My Google Profile
My Twitter Account
My FriendFeed Account
My Yahoo! Account
My Blogger Account
My JS-Kit Account
My Haloscan Account
My OpenID
My Websites:
My Site (click to edit)
ShareShare with:
This Page
My Facebook Friends
My Google Friends
My Twitter Followers
My FriendFeed Followers
My Yahoo! Friends
|
