Wisconsin reports record number of boating fatalities in 2023
State officials documented 28 fatalities from boating accidents in 2023, the most in Wisconsin history, according to Department of Natural Resources reports.
The leading factors in the grim record are no surprise: an increase in boating pressure, operating under the influence and failure among nearly all victims to wear a life jacket.
“The vast majority of our boating fatalities last year fit established patterns,” said Darren Kuhn, DNR boating law administrator. “And sadly, investigations showed they were preventable if only people followed standard boating safety recommendations.”
The number of boating deaths last year represented a 50% increase over the average in the previous decade.
In 27 of the 28 fatalities, the victims were not wearing a life jacket, or personal flotation device, according to the DNR. And alcohol use by the boat operator was documented in 13.
In Wisconsin all vessels including canoes, kayaks and paddleboards are legally required to have at least one U.S. Coast Guard-approved wearable life jacket for each person on board. However, the law does not require them to be worn.
In addition, all vessels 16 feet long or more must have one USCG-approved throwable personal flotation device (such as a ring buoy or seat cushion) that is immediately accessible.
And every person onboard a personal watercraft must wear a USCG-approved life jacket.
Wisconsin law also requires boat operators born on or after Jan. 1, 1989, to have earned a safety certification or out-of-state equivalent.
Kuhn said the leading boating safety citation each year is failure to have the required number of life jackets on board.
His primary boating safety message is “have your life jackets, wear your life jackets.”
“Thirty years ago, I could almost understand people not wearing one, with the heavy, orange horse collar-type life jackets most people had,” Kuhn said. “Now with all the comfortable options that are Coast Guard approved and will save someone's life in an emergency situation, lack of comfort is no excuse.”
There was an average of 18.7 fatal boating incidents annually on Wisconsin waters from 2013-22, ranging from the previous record highs of 25 in 2018 and 2021 to lows of nine in 2015 and 2020, according to the DNR's 2023 recreational safety report.
Overall there were 117 reported boating crashes in 2023, third-highest (134 in 2020 and 119 in 2021) on record.
A reportable boat incident is any resulting in loss of life, injuries that require medical treatment beyond first aid, boat or property damage more than $2,000 or complete loss of a boat. Wisconsin law requires every boat operator involved in a reportable boat incident to report the incident without delay to law enforcement officials. The operator must also submit a written report to the DNR within 10 days of the crash.
The DNR is required by state and federal law to gather boat incident reports and convey the information to the U.S. Coast Guard by entering the incident information onto the Coast Guard's Boating Accident Report Database.
Kuhn said boating pressure has been increasing in Wisconsin in recent years, a trend that gained steam during the COVID-19 pandemic as more people sought outdoor activities.
Boats must be registered to legally operate in Wisconsin waters. Exceptions to the requirement to register a recreational vessel include: sailboats 12 feet of length or less and not equipped with a motor; sailboards; manually propelled vessels not equipped with a motor or sail; and vessels registered in another state and using Wisconsin waters for less than 60 consecutive days.
In 2023, Wisconsin had 611,788 registered boats, according to DNR records. The state typically ranks third or fourth in the nation for number of registered boats. And the total does not include paddle craft.
“That's a lot of boats on the waters in what is a fairly compressed boating season,” Kuhn said. “Our waters are really getting more crowded.”
To help get out its safe boating messages in 2024, Kuhn said the DNR would again be promoting its “Wear It” campaign as well as participating in two large-scale boating safety programs, National Safe Boating Week from May 18-24 and Operation Dry Water July 4-6.
“Wear It” is an appeal to get boaters to not just have the legally required number personal flotation devices on board but to actually don the gear.
National Safe Boating Week is part of the National Safe Boating Council's annual effort to encourage boaters to “make the most of their boating adventure by being responsible.”
Operation Dry Water is focused on getting boaters to abstain from drinking alcohol and operating under the influence of drugs while on the water. It also features a period of heightened enforcement by DNR wardens over the Fourth of July holiday.
Operating a vessel while impaired is illegal on all bodies of water and can lead to serious injuries, death and legal consequences, according to the DNR. In Wisconsin, it is illegal for people to operate a vessel if they have a blood-alcohol content of 0.08% or higher, same as for drivers on roads.
In addition to his appeal to each boater to wear a PFD, Kuhn said accidents can be prevented by paying attention to the weather and avoiding storms and by refraining from alcohol use when boating. Alcohol has no place in the boat, just like it doesn't belong in a vehicle on our highways, he said.
For more information, visit dnr.wi.gov.