DOVER – DNREC’s Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police are endorsing “Wear Your Life Jacket to Work Day” on Friday, May 17, joining boating professionals and outdoor enthusiasts to promote life jackets always being worn as a safe boating practice. Wearing a life jacket to work heightens awareness of the different life jackets available and their comfort and versatility.

The annual event, hosted by the National Safe Boating Council, serves as a fun, educational day just prior to the start of National Safe Boating Week, May 18-24, the official launch of the 2019 Safe Boating Campaign. Educating the boating public about the safety and comfort of life jackets remains a main focus of the campaign. Members of the boating public, as well as those interested in showing the wearability of life jackets, are encouraged to participate.

Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police, along with the National Safe Boating Council, are asking all participants to take a picture of themselves in their life jacket while at work and post it on social media using #lifejacket2work, #safeboating and #DEFWNRPolice.

The most recent U.S. Coast Guard statistics from 2017 show that 76 percent of fatalities in boating accidents were due to drowning where the cause of death was known. In cases where life jacket use was noted, 84.5 percent of drowning victims were not wearing life jackets.

For more information on this event, or boating safety in Delaware, contact Delaware Boating Safety & Education Coordinator Sgt. Brooke Mitchell at 302-739-9913 or email brooke.mitchell@delaware.gov.

Follow Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police on Facebook, www.facebook.com/pages/Delaware-Fish-Wildlife-Natural-Resources-Police.

Follow Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police on Twitter, https://twitter.com/DE_FW_NRPolice.

Contact: Sgt. Brooke Mitchell, Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police, 302-382-7167 or 302-739-9913, or Joanna Wilson, DNREC Public Affairs, 302-739-9902.

Vol. 49, No. 123

DOVER – For the upcoming Memorial Day holiday weekend, DNREC Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police remind boaters that drinking and boating don’t mix – and that boat operators with blood alcohol levels of .08 or higher risk facing charges for operating under the influence (OUI), as well as putting themselves, their passengers and other boaters in Delaware waters at risk.

“Just like driving an automobile, operating a boat with a blood alcohol level of 0.08 percent or higher is in violation of Delaware and federal laws,” said Sgt. Brooke Africa of Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police, noting that marine patrols are increased over the holiday weekend to ensure safe boating and public safety. “Boat operators found at or above the legal limit will find their voyage terminated, will be arrested, and may have their vessel impounded. Anyone charged with boating under the influence also can face fines and potential jail time.”

According to national statistics from the U.S. Coast Guard, alcohol use is a leading known contributing factor to fatal boating accidents. Nationally in 2016, 282 accidents involved alcohol use, resulting in 87 deaths and 264 injuries.

The best way to minimize the risk of an accident is to make the wiser choice – don’t drink and boat, Sgt. Africa said. Environmental stressors aboard a boat – such as constant motion, heat, sun glare, and dehydration – all contribute to the negative effects of any amount of alcohol. Because of this, having a non-drinking, designated boat operator is strongly recommended.

Other tips for recreational boaters to ensure a safe and enjoyable holiday weekend include:

• Exercise patience and courtesy at crowded boat ramps and docks.
• Observe all “Slow No Wake” areas.
• Maintain a lookout and keep a safe distance from other vessels.
• Avoid traveling at unsafe speeds and use extra caution in congested areas.
• Make sure children 12 and younger are wearing life jackets while underway as required by law.
• Wear your life jacket and encourage all your passengers 13 and older to wear them also.
• Check navigation lights and make sure to turn them on when operating at night.
• Carry your Boating Education Card and all required safety equipment appropriate for your size vessel.
• Canoes, kayaks, and paddle boards are considered vessels, and passengers are required to have a life jacket on board and carry a whistle or other sound-producing device. If you are out after sunset, a flashlight is also required.

For access to the online Delaware Boating Handbook and other safe boating information, click Delaware Boating Safety, or contact Delaware Boating Safety & Education Coordinator Sgt. Brooke Africa at 302-739-9913 or email brooke.africa@delaware.gov.

Follow Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police on Facebook, www.facebook.com/pages/Delaware-Fish-Wildlife-Natural-Resources-Police.

Follow Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police on Twitter, https://twitter.com/DE_FW_NRPolice.

Contact: Sgt. Brooke Africa, Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police, 302-739-9913 or 302-382-7167, or Joanna Wilson, Public Affairs, 302-739-9902.

Vol. 48, No. 130

Delaware’s Boating Safety & Education Office urges good safety practices

DOVER – With the 2018 summer season and ideal weather ahead, many boaters soon will be heading out on the water. DNREC’s Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police Office of Boating Safety & Education encourages boaters to practice safe boating, not just during National Safe Boating Week – but also throughout the year.

This morning, DNREC Secretary Shawn M. Garvin and Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police officers joined members of the General Assembly, and U.S. Coast Guard and USCG Auxiliary members to officially kick off National Safe Boating Week at the Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police Boat Dock in Lewes.

“We encourage citizens who are boating on our waterways to be alert, use common sense and avoid actions that will put themselves, their passengers and other boaters at risk,” said Secretary Garvin. “And, like seatbelts in automobiles, we know without question that wearing lifejackets save lives.”

Delaware, which consistently has one of the lowest boating accident rates in the country, had 33 reported boating accidents and three fatalities last year. Statistics support the vital role of wearing lifejackets in keeping boaters safe. In 2016, 80 percent of all boating-related fatalities nationwide were drowning victims, and of those, 83 percent were not wearing lifejackets, according to the U.S. Coast Guard. There have been no fatalities and no reported accidents this year.

Coast Guard statistics show alcohol use is the leading contributing factor in fatal boating accidents. In Delaware, the same blood alcohol limit used to measure intoxication in automobile drivers applies to boat operators: 0.08 or above is legally intoxicated. Boat operators found to be at or over the limit face fines and potential jail time, as well as putting themselves and their passengers at risk. “The best way to minimize the risk of an accident is to make the wise choice – don’t drink and boat,” said Sgt. Brooke Africa, Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police Boating Safety & Education Coordinator, noting boaters should plan to have a non-drinking designated boat operator aboard if alcohol is being consumed.

Delaware law requires children age 12 and younger wear a lifejacket while underway in any vessel on Delaware waters. Lifejackets also are required for water skiers, tubers, and personal watercraft operators and passengers of all ages. Though not required by law, Sgt. Africa strongly recommends all other adult boat operators and passengers, especially those with limited swimming skills, wear lifejackets.

Taking a boating safety course can also improve your skills and reduce the chances of an accident. Coast Guard statistics show that in states where boating safety education data is available, 77 percent of reported fatalities occurred on boats where the operator had not received boating safety instruction. Under Delaware law, all persons born on or after Jan. 1, 1978, are required to successfully complete a boating safety course in order to operate a boat in Delaware waters, including personal watercraft, and must carry their boating safety certificate while boating as proof of course completion.

For more information, including Delaware’s boating safety course schedule and the online Delaware Boating Handbook, visit the Delaware Boating Safety web page, or contact Boating Safety & Education Coordinator Sgt. Brooke Africa at 302-739-9913.

Follow Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police on Facebook, www.facebook.com/pages/Delaware-Fish-Wildlife-Natural-Resources-Police.

Follow Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police on Twitter, twitter.com/DE_FW_NRPolice.

Contact: Sgt. Brooke Africa, Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police Boating Safety & Education Coordinator, 302-739-9913 or 302-382-7167, or Joanna Wilson, DNREC Public Affairs, 302-739-9902.

Vol. 48, No. 126

DOVER – DNREC Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police announced today their support of “Wear Your Life Jacket to Work Day” on Friday, May 18. They join boating professionals and outdoor enthusiasts in promoting that lifejackets always be worn as a safe boating practice, as well as heightening awareness of the different life jackets available, and showing their comfort and versatility by wearing them to work.

The annual event, hosted by the National Safe Boating Council (NSBC), serves as a fun, educational day just prior to the start of National Safe Boating Week, May 19-25, the official launch of the 2018 Safe Boating Campaign. Educating the boating public about the safety and comfort of lifejackets has been a main focus of the campaign. Members of the boating public as well as those interested in showing the wearability of life jackets are encouraged to participate.

Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police, along with the National Safe Boating Council, is asking all participants to take a picture of themselves in their life jacket while at work and post it on social media using #lifejacket2work #safeboating and #DEFWNRPolice.

The most recent U.S. Coast Guard statistics show that drowning was the reported cause of death in four out of every five recreational boating fatalities in 2016, and that approximately 83 percent of those who drowned were not wearing life jackets.

For more information on this event, or boating safety in Delaware, contact Delaware Boating Safety & Education Coordinator Sgt. Brooke Africa at 302-739-9913 or email brooke.africa@delaware.gov.

Follow Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police on Facebook, www.facebook.com/pages/Delaware-Fish-Wildlife-Natural-Resources-Police.

Follow Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police on Twitter, https://twitter.com/DE_FW_NRPolice.

Contact: Sgt. Brooke Africa, Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police, 302-382-7167, or Joanna Wilson, DNREC Public Affairs, 302-739-9902.

Vol. 47, No. 123