Boating season is kicking into high gear and that can only mean one thing – summer has arrived in South Florida.
The U.S. Coast Guard, though, is warning the public to stay safe as the boating season takes off.
Officials said 90 percent of the people that die on the water is because they're not wearing their life jackets.
Safety rules for South Florida boaters are simple, but officials are taking extra precautions to remind the public.
“All that advice seems to be common sense and we share this advice every year and unfortunately people just don't heed the warnings," Officer Jorge Pino of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission said. “And we have tragedy on the waterways every summer.”
Another major problem is drinking, especially when people don’t drink enough water while on the water.
“Our main emergencies that we encounter out on the water are due to traumatic injuries and to dehydration and alcohol poisoning,” Lt. Arnold Piedrahita from Miami-Dade Fire Rescue said. “Use common sense. If you're going to drink alcohol, take plenty of water and drink the water.”
Dive flag violations are also a problem but this year, officials have a hi-tech laser range finder that will target dive flag violators.
U.S. Coast Guard Lt. Cmdr. Joe Abeyta encouraged residents to take safety boating classes this summer.
“People die on the water and the best thing you can do to combat that is start off by taking a boating safety class," he said.
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