RSSFlorida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission - Part 2
One Man Killed in Lake County Florida Boating Accident
A man from Martin County was struck and killed recently during a boating event in Lake County. Fifty-three-year-old Mark Van Winkle and a woman, Lorraine Moody, were ejected from their boat while participating in the Classic Race Boat Regatta on Lake Dora in Tavares, according to Joy Hill, spokeswoman for the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. It has been reported that the event is not a competition but a showcase for vintage boats since none of the vessels can legally race. It was the sixth annual event, which attracts 8,000 to 10,000 people including spectators, vendors and participants who are all eager to kick off the boating season.
Boating Safety Tips and Florida Boating Accident Statistics
Florida’s boating season never really ends, but this is the time of year that traffic starts getting heavy on our state’s waterways. With that in mind, Orlando personal injury lawyer James O. Cunningham would like to remind boaters and passengers about some basic boating safety rules. First, Florida law states that anyone aboard a watercraft on state waters must have a United States Coast Guard-approved flotation device easily accessible. Only those aged six years and younger must wear a flotation device at all times, but recent high-profile drowning deaths serve as a sober reminder that it is very risky to go boating without a life vest no matter how good a swimmer you may be.
Florida Boaters Urged to Prevent Drowning Accidents
Orlando personal injury lawyer James O. Cunningham warns that the recent drowning death of a man who was a champion wrestler, experienced boater and capable swimmer highlights the need for all Florida boaters to practice boating safety. He also urges boaters to ensure that they have safety equipment on their watercraft as our state’s boating season gets underway in the coming weeks. The drowning victim was a 30-year-old man in excellent physical condition, but, when his boat capsized on Lake Rochelle in Lake Alfred, he was unable to swim to shore.
FWC Urges Boaters to Follow Safety Rules
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission urge boaters and their passengers to take a refresher course in boating safety for everyone’s benefit. Florida’s waterways and coasts offer some of the best recreational boating in the country. However, on too many occasions the operators of watercraft fail to honor their responsibilities and drink alcohol to the excess while on the water, don’t observe speed and wake restrictions and people are hurt and killed.
Under Florida law, it is illegal to operate a vessel of any kind while impaired by alcohol and other drugs. An operator suspected of boating under the influence must submit to sobriety tests and a physical or chemical test to determine blood-alcohol content. As with motor vehicle sobriety laws, a vessel operator is legally drunk with a blood-alcohol level of 0.08 percent or above.
Mr. Cunningham is an excellent and knowledgeable attorney.