SEVEN FATALITIES RECORDED FOR 2004 BOATING SEASON

SEVEN FATALITIES RECORDED FOR 2004 BOATING SEASON
Lowest number of boating fatalities reported than for any other season on record

COLUMBUS, OH - Boating-related fatalities in Ohio fell to a record low of seven in 2004, according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) Division of Watercraft, which began keeping records in 1960. Ohio, which ranks eighth in the country in the number of registered boaters, reported 25 boating-related fatalities in 2000 and 19 in 2003.

“This year’s decline in boating fatalities is encouraging and can be attributed to many factors, including boating conditions, boater education and enforcement and improved public awareness,” said Ken Alvey, chief of the Division of Watercraft. “We can only hope that boaters on Ohio’s waters will keep practicing safe boating.”

Overall, boater fatalities have declined in Ohio, while the number of recreational boaters and registered boats has increased. A total of 384,048 recreational boats were registered in Ohio in 1993, compared to 418,300 in 2003.

In all seven of this season’s boating-related fatalities, life jackets were not worn by the victims. In addition, alcohol was determined to be a contributing factor in three of the fatalities.

Ohio’s Boater Education Law requires boaters born on or after January 1, 1982 to successfully complete either a boating course or a proficiency exam before operating a boat of more than 10 horsepower. The Division of Watercraft sponsors boater education courses year-round throughout the state and all boat operators are encouraged to take a course.

For more information about boater education courses and safe boating practices, visit the Division of Watercraft online at ohiodnr.com