DENVER – The long Labor Day
weekend is coming when boating is fun for the whole family, providing a great
way to cool off in while exploring lakes, reservoirs and rivers. To help boaters
stay safe, Colorado Parks and Wildlife has created a boating safety video,
available at the bottom of the boating safety webpage, http://parks.state.co.us/Boating/BoatingSafety/. In the video, Colorado Parks and
Wildlife’s Boating Safety Program Manager Kris Wahlers explains how to boat
safe, boat smart and boat sober. And, Wahlers emphasizes the importance of
wearing a life jacket.
Boating safe
means checking all your safety equipment, especially life jackets, to make sure
it is in good condition. Wahlers said life jackets provide the floatation that
saves lives, especially in the chilly waters of Colorado’s lakes, reservoirs and
rivers.
“Last year,
nine people drowned in Colorado boating accidents and five of them weren’t
wearing life jackets,” he said. “A lot of people believe they can swim their way
out of the water, but the cold water temperatures here can cause shock and
hypothermia. Always buckle up.”
Boating smart
involves taking boating safety education classes and review sessions. The
classes are open and encouraged for everyone, but required for young motorboat
drivers, 14-15 years old. The classes are held across the state. To check the
schedule and reserve a spot, visit http://parks.state.co.us/Boating/BoatingSafety/.
“Of all boaters
involved in an accident last year, only 17 percent had any type of boat safety
education,” said Wahlers, who teaches many of the classes. “Taking a safety
class can also lower boat insurance rates.”
Play it safe on
the water and boat sober. Wahlers said boating under the influence is a primary
factor in almost 20 percent of all recreational boating fatalities.
“Everyone knows
how dangerous it is to drive a car after drinking alcohol, but the heat, sun and
other stressors of boating multiply the risks,” said Wahlers. “Boating under the
influence isn’t just dangerous for the boat operator; it puts their passengers
and everyone on the lake at risk.”
Colorado Parks
and Wildlife was created by the merger of Colorado State Parks and the Colorado
Division of Wildlife, two nationally recognized leaders in conservation, outdoor
recreation and wildlife management. Colorado Parks and Wildlife manages 42 state
parks, all of Colorado’s wildlife, more than 300 state wildlife areas and a host
of recreational programs. To learn more about Colorado’s state parks, please
see: http://www.parks.state.co.us. To learn more about Colorado’s
wildlife programs, please see: http://wildlife.state.co.us
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