Holiday fun comes with a caution
Boaters urged to stay aware, sober and safe
As South Florida recovers froma deadly week on thewater, the busiest and potentially most dangerousweekend is upon us.
MemorialDayweekend, the unofficial kickoff to the summer season, can bring out thousands of boaters. But it also draws to thewater a precarious mixture of alcohol, speedy personalwatercraft, congestion and a lack of adherence to safety, experts say.
In the past seven days, there have been two fatal accidents that have killed four people. On Saturday, two peoplewere killed when a 31-foot catamaran hit a 22-foot Twin Vee center console in the IntracoastalWaterway in Fort Lauderdale. And on Tuesday, two Broward County men died after their boat became entangled in a mooring and capsized about a half mile off the coast ofDania Beach. The men did not have life vests on when their bodieswere recovered, but therewere several vests floating in the area, investigators said.
Officials fromthe Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, the U.S. Coast Guard and other lawenforcement agencies had a news conference Thursday morning to convey a message to boaters— safety first.
“All too oftenwe hear about tragic accidents at sea that could have been prevented,” said Lt. RaymondHeverlig, the commanding officer of the Coast Guard’s Miami Beach Station.
The Coast Guard plans to deploy dozens of boats thisweekend to monitor activity along the South Florida coastline.
“Be responsible and have a designated driver … there is a zero-[tolerance] policy with regard to impaired operation,” said