Boating accidents in Florida peak July 4
From 2015-17, 30 incidents on Fourth in state include one fatality, 12 injuries.
The Fourth of July is a top time to boat in Florida waters, but the holiday’s popularity leads to the most collisions and accidents than any other day of the year, state records show.
An analysis of statewide numbers from 2015 to 2017 and incident reports from those years indicate that the highest number of incidents occurred on Independence Day itself. There were 30 of them, including one fatality and 12 injuries, from 2015 to 2017, according to the data.
One of those accidents occurred in 2015 near the Jupiter Inlet. A boat was returning from sea, and choppy waters washed a wave over the side, causing the boat to capsize. No one was injured, according to the incident report.
The days surrounding the Fourth of July — a time when people often take longer breaks from work — also top the list for number of accidents.
July 2 had 19 incidents, including two fatalities and 15 injuries, from 2015 to 2017. July 3 had 15, including one fatality and 11 injuries.
Holidays spent outdoors — Memorial Day, Independence Day and Labor Day — generally see
the number of mishaps increase. The primary causes tend to be congestion on waterways, longer times spent on boats and alcohol, said Carol Lyn Parrish, a Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission spokeswoman.
“There are certain holidays out of the year, and July Fourth is one of those,” Parrish said.
The third-highest day of reported incidents from 2015 to 2017 was May 30, which can fall on the Memorial Day weekend. May 25 and May 24 also had higher rates of accidents statewide. The two dates fell during that weekend in 2015.
In Broward County, one fatality occurred during a holiday weekend. On Memorial Day in 2015, a victim docking a boat in Fort Lauderdale fell into the water and drowned, according to the incident report. It is unclear whether the victim was wearing a life jacket.
Both Martin and St. Lucie counties had two reported crashes each on holiday weekends. In Jensen Beach, two water scooters crashed on Memorial Day in 2015, causing one driver to sustain bruises and fractured ribs.
In St. Lucie County, one of the crashes caused an injury to a swimmer’s foot. Another crash involving three boats caused $12,500 in damage.
Yearlong, Palm Beach County ranked sixth overall in the state with 41 crashes in 2017, including two fatalities and 16 injuries, past state figures have shown. That was down by nearly one-third from 2016, when Palm Beach County was ranked third overall with 62 crashes and two fatalities.
Monroe and Miami-Dade counties regularly come in first and second in crashes. Factors for that include the year-round boating season, higher concentrations of water scooters such as Jet Skis and larger populations, Parrish said.
Parrish said FWC will be participating in Operation Dry Water — a boating under the influence awareness campaign — including an increased patrol this weekend and next week to keep an eye out for BUI and other safety concerns.
For the Fourth of July, other high-traffic boating days or even a calm day at sea, Parrish recommends keeping safety at the forefront. Boaters should:
■ Keep a designated boat operator if other people aboard will be drinking.
■ Wear life jackets.
■ Check weather conditions and maintain a lookout for any visibility changes.
■ Check safety equipment before heading out.
■ Be familiar with the route.
“Part of being a responsible boater is knowing the area you’re boating, knowing the weather and knowing what to expect,” Parrish said.