Arizona Game and Fish Department - azgfd.gov · PDF fileArizona Game and Fish Department ... National Park Service officers investigate a boat accident on Lake Powell in July of 2004

Special thanks to the following agencies for their cooperation in providing accident and enforcement data for this report:

Arizona Game and Fish Department • azgfd.gov

The 2004 Arizona Boating Safety Report is provided by the Arizona Game and Fish Department. The data and

statistics were researched, compiled and written by Connie Giesie and Kevin Bergersen. The information was

edited by Linda J. Nofer and graphic design was provided by Carolyn Seay-Greeney.

Apache County Sheriff ’s OfficeArizona Game and Fish DepartmentArizona State ParksBullhead City Police DepartmentCoconino County Sheriff ’s OfficeColorado River Indian Tribes Police DepartmentFt. Mohave Tribal Police Department

Gila County Sheriff ’s OfficeImperial County Sheriff ’s OfficeLake Havasu City Police DepartmentLa Paz County Sheriff ’s OfficeMaricopa County Sheriff ’s OfficeMohave County Sheriff ’s OfficeNational Park Service

Nevada Department of WildlifeTempe Police DepartmentU.S. Fish and Wildlife ServiceYavapai-Prescott Tribal PoliceYuma County Sheriff ’s Office

Boating Law Administrator

Kevin Bergersen

Law Enforcement Programs Coordinator

Phone: 602-789-3383

Fax: 602-789-3945

Email: [email protected]

Education

Ed Huntsman

Boating Education Program Coordinator

Phone: 602-789-3237

Fax: 602-789-3903


Enforcement

Ron Day

Law Enforcement Branch Chief

Phone: 602-789-3307

Fax: 602-789-3945


Facilities

Ron Christofferson

Boating Facilities Program Manager

Phone: 602-789-3481


Public Information

Linda J. Nofer

Public Information Officer

Phone: 602-789-3223

Fax: 602-789-3776


2004 Arizona Boating Safety Report

Arizona Game and Fish DepartmentBoating Enforcement and Education

Titling and Registration

Madelynn Fenske

Watercraft Administrator

Phone: 602-789-3403

Fax: 602-789-3729


Training

Jay Cook

Watercraft/OHV Law Enforcement

Program Manager, Acting

Phone: 602-789-3931

Fax: 602-789-3945


Stolen Watercraft

Joe Sacco

Watercraft Law Enforcement Specialist

Phone: 602-789-3382

Fax: 602-789-3945


Watercraft Accident PublicRecords

Connie Giesie

Law Enforcement Programs Secretary

Phone: 602-789-3380

Fax: 602-789-3945


azgfd.gov 1

The Arizona Game and Fish Department prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, sex, na-tional origin, age, or disability in its programs and activities. If anyone believes that they have beendiscriminated against in any of the AGFD’s programs or activities, including employment practices,they may file a complaint with the Deputy Director, 2221 W. Greenway Rd. Phoenix, AZ 85023, (602)789-3290, or with the Fish and Wildlife Service, 4040 N. Fairfax Dr. Ste. 130, Arlington, VA 22203.Persons with a disability may request a reasonable accommodation or this document in an alternativeformat by contacting the Deputy Director as listed above.

Kevin BergersenBoating Law Administrator

Administrative Authority

The Arizona Game and Fish Department and Com-mission have been involved in boating safety andlaw enforcement since passage of the Federal BoatSafety Act of 1971. The commission and department

derive their authority from state law containedwithin the Arizona Revised Statutes Title 5.

ars 5-311 outlines the powers and duties of theArizona Game and Fish Commission in regard toboating in Arizona. The commission may:

2 2004 Arizona Boating Safety Report

Arizona Game and Fish DepartmentWatercraft Enforcement and Education

2004 Arizona Boating Safety Report

An Arizona Game and Fish Department law enforcement officer patrols Willow Beach along theColorado River.

• Make rules and regulations required to carryout in the most effective manner all the provi-sions of this chapter.

• Modify the equipment requirements in confor-mity with the provisions of the federal navigationlaws or with the navigation regulations promul-gated by the U.S. Coast Guard.

• Prescribe additional equipment requirementsnot in conflict with federal navigation laws orregulations.

• Provide for a uniform waterway marking systemand establish, operate and maintain aids tonavigation and regulatory markers of the state.

• Make regulations for the registration and op-eration of watercraft.

• Prescribe regulations for the issuance of permitsfor motorboat races, regattas or other water-craft events.

• Administer law enforcement and boating safetyprograms on the state level, and accept federalgrants for the purpose of boating safety andrelated enforcement.

By statute, the Arizona Game and Fish Commis-sion’s boating safety and registration mandates areextremely broad. The department is responsiblefor providing a safe watercraft recreation environ-ment, so that Arizona’s lakes will be used, enjoyedand appreciated by present and future generations.

Watercraft Law Enforcement

Although the Arizona Game and Fish Departmentadministers and provides boating law enforcementefforts on a state level, primary law enforcementauthority resides with local agencies; state, county,municipal, park, reservation or land management

agencies within whosejurisdiction a body of waterlies are responsible forwatercraft law enforcement.

The Arizona Game andFish Department is theadministrative agency forwatercraft-related acci-dents in Arizona. Initialreports and investigationsare completed by the ju-risdictional agency andsubmitted to the depart-ment. These reports arethen compiled, tabulatedand forwarded to the U.S.Coast Guard for use innational statistics.

azgfd.gov 3

Lake Havasu City Police Department officerspatrol the congested waters of Bridgewater Chan-nel during the 2004 Memorial Day holiday.

Coconino County Sheriff ’s deputies patrol the Navajo Canyon channelin the summer of 2004.

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80

Number of accidents

Operator reports

Arizona State Parks

Arizona Game and Fish Dept

Bullhead City Police Dept

Coconino County SO

Gila County SO

Imperial County SO

La Paz County SO

Lake Havasu City PD

Maricopa County Parks

Maricopa County SO

Mohave County SO

National Park Service

Nevada DOW

Tempe Police Dept

US Fish & Wildlife

Yavapai Prescott Tribal Police Dept

Agencies Reporting Accidents254 total accidents

Colorado River System Compared to All Other Arizona Waters

254 total accidents

All otherwaters31%

ColoradoRiver

system69%

Number of accidents

All otherwaters31%

ColoradoRiver

system69%

ColoradoRiver46%

LakePowell18%

LakeMohave

9%

Lake Mead 5%

Colorado River SystemAccidents reported in Arizona

ColoradoRiver46%

LakePowell18%

LakeMohave

9%

Lake Mead 5%


In 2004, 16 different law enforcement agencies,along with boat operators, reported 254 watercraft-related accidents to the department. This numberdoes not include 25 boat accident reports that didnot meet minimum state or U.S. Coast Guardreporting guidelines. Information taken from theseaccident reports assists Arizona law enforcementagencies in identifying safety needs, developing new

regulations, designingnew enforcement tech-niques, identifyingmanufacturer problemsand directing programsat particular areas ofconcern.

Law enforcementagencies investigatingboating accidents andoperators involved inaccidents are requiredby law to report suchaccidents to the Ari-zona Game and FishDepartment. If theaccident involves an

injury or fatality, a written report must be submit-ted within 48 hours. All other accidents must bereported within five days.

According to 2004 statistics, a significant num-ber of boating accidents continue to occur alongthe Colorado River basin, which includes LakePowell, Lake Mead, Lake Mohave, Lake Havasuand stretches of the Colorado River. A number of

National Park Service officers investigate a boat accident on Lake Powellin July of 2004. The investigation revealed that the operator was impaired.

these accidentswere related to the useof drugs and alcohol.In 2004, 11 people diedon Arizona waterwaysand four of the deaths(36 percent) were alco-hol-related.

In an effort to re-duce those numbers,federal, state, countyand local law enforce-ment agencies haveteamed up to conductoperating under theinfluence (oui) patrolefforts. These specialprojects includeon-the-water oui

checkpoints andhigh-density law en-forcement saturation (wolf pack) patrols involvinglaw enforcement agencies from Arizona, Nevadaand California. Statewide, watercraft law enforce-ment officers were very successful in detectingand arresting impaired boat operators. In 2004,Arizona watercraft officers arrested 438 individu-

als for operating under the influence, 41 of thosearrests occurred during multi-agency oui specialprojects. Last year, 10 multi-agency oui specialproject patrols were conducted, during which 995

watercraft with 3009 persons onboard were checkedand 298 citations were issued. The boating public

azgfd.gov 5

2004 Fatalities4 out of 11 fatalities were alcohol related

0.0 0.5 1.0 1.5 2.0

Alcohol-related fatalities

Nonalcohol-related fatalities

Lake Mohave

Lake Mead

Lake Havasu

Granite Creek

Colorado River

Canyon Lake

Bartlett Lake

Total Number of Alcohol-related Accidents254 total accidents

0 10 20 30 40 50 60

Total number of alcohol-related Injuries

Total number of alcohol-related fatalities

Total accidents Involving alcohol

Total number of alcoholrelated fatalities

Total number of alcoholrelated Injuries

Total accidentsinvolving alcohol

The lone operator-occupant of this Lake Havasu boat was thrown over-board during rough conditions in June 2004.

This total may not necessarily reflect the truenumber of alcohol-related accidents due to avariety of factors, including incomplete ordelayed accident reporting, along with delayedvictim reporting and/or recovery.

has continued to support oui patrol efforts.Similar patrol activities are expected during the2005 watercraft season.

Many boat operators appear to be heedingthe message of sober boating on the state’s wa-terways. Watercraft law enforcement officersstatewide have reported a marked increase in

the percentage of designated sober operatorsencountered during routine contacts. Drinkingwhile boating continues to be a critical problemand high priority target enforcement objectivefor officers, but the fact that many boat operatorshave taken the safe and sober boating messageto heart is highly encouraging.

Property Damage Over $500Types of watercraft

0 20 40 60 80 100

Number of vessels

Pontoon

Personal watercraft

Other

Open motorboat

Houseboat

Cabin motorboat

0 20 40 60 80 100

Number of accidents

Tempe Town LakeSalt River

Saguaro LakeRoosevelt LakePatagonia Lake

Lake PowellLake PleasantLake Mohave

Lake MeadLake Havasu

Granite CreekColorado River

Canyon LakeBartlett LakeApache LakeAlamo Lake

Water Bodies254 total accidents

Water Bodies118 total injuries and 11 fatalities

0 10 20 30 40 50

Number of fatalities

Number of injuries

Saguaro Lake

Roosevelt Lake

Lake Powell

Lake Pleasant

Lake Mohave

Lake Mead

Lake Havasu

Granite Creek

Colorado River

Canyon Lake

Bartlett Lake

Apache Lake Houseboats silhouetted at Apache Lake, Ariz.


*Passenger fatalities not included

Causes of Accidents

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80

Primary, secondary & tertiary causes

Weather (heavy)

Wake

Rules of the road infraction

Restricted vision

Passenger skier behavior

Other

Operator inexperience

Operator inattention

No proper lookout

Fault of machinery

Improper loading

Hull failure

Hazardous waters

Excessive speed

Equipment failure

Congested waters

Careless/reckless operation

Carbon monoxide

Alcohol/drug use

Age of Watercraft OperatorsAll accident and vessel types

0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40

Accidents

Fatal

56 and over

51 to 55

46 to 50

41 to 45

36 to 40

31 to 35

26 to 30

21 to 25

17 to 20

11 to 16

Watercraft Accidents

There were 254 watercraft-related accidents re-ported to the Arizona Game and Fish Departmentin 2004, a decrease of 35 from 2003. The accidentsinvolved 397 boats, which is a decrease of 37 fromthe prior year. However, officers saw a substantialincrease in the number of fatal accidents last year.Eleven people died in 10 separate accidents, as com-pared to seven deaths from six accidents in 2003. Afew of these fatal accidents were unusual or uncom-mon in nature. One of the fatalities was attributed

The popularity of Blankenship Bend is reflectedin this aerial photo taken at midday in May 2004.Boaters continue to flock in large numbers to thisunique sandbar located several miles upstreamfrom Lake Havasu along the Colorado River.

azgfd.gov 7

Primary Accident Types254 total accidents

0 30 60 90 120 150

Primary accident type

Struck by motor/propeller

Struck by boat

Skier mishap

Sinking

Other

Hit and run

Grounding

Flooding/swamping

Fire/Explosion (other than fuel)

Fire/explosion (fuel)

Falls overboard

Fall in boat

Collision with vessel

Collision with floating object

Collision with fixed object

Capsizing

Primary Causes of Fatal Accidents

0.0 0.5 1.0 1.5 2.0




Other



Hull failure

Hazardous waters

Carbon monoxide

Alcohol/drug use

Primary Causes of Injury Accidents

0 5 10 15 20 25

Number of injuries

Weather (heavy)

Wake


Restricted vision


Other



Hazardous waters

Excessive speed

Careless/reckless operation

Alcohol/drug use

Residence of OperatorsAll accidents

0 50 100 150 200

Number of vessels

Other

Utah

Nevada

Colorado

California

Arizona

Types of Watercraft in Accidents397 total vessels

0 50 100 150 200

Number of vessels

Rowboat/utility

Pontoon

Personal watercraft

Other

Open motorboat

Houseboat

Canoe

Cabin Motorboat

Length of WatercraftAll incidents

0 20 40 60 80 100

Number of vessels

24 ‘ +

22’ to 23’

20’ to 21’

18’ to 19’

12’ to 17’

9’ to 11’

Types of Watercraft in Accidents118 total injuries and 11 fatalities

0 10 20 30 40 50 60

Injury

Fatal

Pontoon

Personal watercraft

Other

Open motorboat

Houseboat

Canoe/rowboat

Cabin motorboat


to carbon monoxide poisoning resulting from “teaksurfing.” Two fatalities occurred during a canoe acci-dent in a flood-swollen wash. A fourth death resultedfrom a heart attack triggered by capsizing and subse-quent cold water immersion at Lee’s Ferry.

More encouraging was the decline in the totalnumber of injury boating accidents. In 2004, 118boaters were injured, representing a reduction of28 from 2003, when 140 were injured while boating

Weather ConditionsAll accidents

0 50 100 150 200 250

Number of accidents

Snow

Rain

Hazy

Fog

Cloudy

Clear

Water ConditionsAll accidents

0 30 60 90 120 150

Number of accidents

Very rough (waves > 6’)

Strong current

Rough (waves 2’ – 6’)

Choppy (wave 6” – 2’)

Calm (waves less then 6”)

Visibility ConditionsAll accidents

0 50 100 150 200 250

Number of accidents

Poor

Fair

Good

Accidents by Month254 total accidents

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80

Number of accidents

December

November

October

September

August

July

June

May

April

March

February

January

Accidents by Day of Week254 total accidents

0 20 40 60 80 100 120

Number of accidents

Sunday

Saturday

Friday

Thursday

Wednesday

Tuesday

Monday

Accidents by Day of Week118 total injuries and 11 fatalities

0 10 20 30 40 50

Injury

Fatal

Sunday

Saturday

Friday

Thursday

Wednesday

Tuesday

Monday

Accidents by Time of Day254 total accidents

0 20 40 60 80 100 120

Number of accidents

8:01 PM to 12:00 AM

4:01 PM to 8:00 PM

12:01 PM to 4:00 PM

8:01 AM to 12:00 PM

4:01 AM to 8:00 AM

12:01 AM to 4:00 AM

azgfd.gov 9

on Arizona waterways. However, $954,343

worth of property and vessel damage was re-ported to the department last year: This isone of the highest numbers on record.

Boating continues to be an increasinglypopular form of recreation in Arizona. Thenumber of registered watercraft in Arizonahas grown from 105,000 in 1986 to 147,294 in2004. According to the 2003 Watercraft GasTax Survey, 3,229,153 total boat use days werereported for Arizona. Arizona boaters madeup 44 percent of those days, while Californiaboaters made up 49 percent. Nevada boatersmade up most of the remaining 7 percent.The main focus of the Arizona Game and FishDepartment’s watercraft safety program is thesafety of all recreational boaters in Arizona.

In analyzing watercraft accident informa-tion, there are five main areas of interest:type and cause of the accident, operator in-formation, boats and equipment involved,environmental conditions at the time of the acci-dent, and time and location of the accident. Thetwo leading causes of accidents for the 11th year ina row in Arizona are operator inexperience andoperator inattention. Forty percent of operatorsinvolved in Arizona boating accidents were residentsof the state and 49 percent were from California.The types of watercraft most often involved inaccidents were personal watercraft smaller than 12

Age of Personal Watercraft OperatorsAll accidents

0 5 10 15 20 25

Number of operators

Age 51 and older

Age 46 to 50

Age 41 to 45

Age 36 to 40

Age 31 to 35

Age 26 to 30

Age 21 to 25

Age 17 to 20

Age 11 to 16

Operator’s Boating EducationAll accidents

0 20 40 60 80 100 120

Number of operators

Other

Informal

American Red Cross

US Power Squadrons

USCG Auxiliary

State course

None

feet in length and open motorboats 24 feet ormore in length.

Environmental conditions were not a factor inthe vast majority of 2004 accidents. The averageaccident occurred during the day when weatherconditions were usually clear, with calm or choppywaters, and good visibility.

The most dangerous month for recreationalboating in 2004 was July, with August second, and

The operator who provided this breath sample wasarrested for extreme OUI. In Arizona, boat operatorscannot be impaired to the slightest degree, and thelegal alcohol concentration limit for persons in con-trol of a motorized watercraft is .08.


May third. The months of May, July, and Sep-tember traditionally have high numbers of boatingaccidents because these months reflect peak boaterday use along with the summer’s busiest boatingholidays: Memorial Day, Independence Day andLabor Day. In 2004, 43 percent of all accidents oc-curred between noon and 4 p.m. and Saturday wasthe day of the week that had the most accidentsand injuries.

Watercraft Regulations

The Arizona Legislature has changed state law inregard to the penalties for oui. Boat operatorsconvicted of oui face increased sanctions and finesranging from $955 for a first time offense to $2155

for second-time extreme oui convictions.

Watercraft Education

Education is considered one of the most effectiveways to reduce the number of boating accidents.According to 2004 statistics, more than half of theoperators involved in recreational boating accidentshad not received formal education in boating safety.This was a slight decrease from the 2003 data. TheArizona Game and Fish Department provides aneight-hour boating education course developed forrecreational boaters. Many insurance companiesoffer discounts to those who successfully completethe course as a way to encourage boater education.Currently the Arizona Game and Fish Department’sInformation and Education Division coordinates

Tri-state Colorado River Fatalities

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8


Nevada

California

Arizona

the courses, and 87 volunteer boating educationinstructors from across the state provide class-room instruction. In 2004, the department offered143 boating education classes in Arizona and 1,959

recreational boaters completed them. This was a288 percent student increase from 2003, which had680 students attending 57 classes.

The Arizona sections of both the U.S. CoastGuard Auxiliary and the U.S. Power Squadronalso conduct boating education training. U.S.Coast Guard boating safety classes vary from aneight-hour basic safety course to 80 hours ofinstruction. The U.S. Power Squadron offers a six-chapter boating course as well as a shorter, more

intense, three-chapter course.The Arizona Game and Fish Department con-

tinues to work with judges around the state toinclude its boating safety education program aspart of sentencing for violators of boating rulesand regulations. Judges are encouraged to use theprogram in lieu of, or in addition to, a fine, tohelp increase the boat operator’s knowledge ofboating safety information and regulations. So far,judges and boating violators have indicated theprogram has been successful in increasing aware-ness of boating safety issues.

azgfd.gov 11

The Lost Eden Waterfall dwarfs a 26-foot Na-tional Park Service patrol boat in July 2004. Thisside channel on Lake Powell only flows afterheavy rains.


Boating Accident Statistics

An area of priority interest to both recreationalboaters and law enforcement agencies is the in-creasing number of personal watercraft (pwc)using Arizona waterways. In 1990, there were only8,168 pwc registered in Arizona, compared to 28,307

in 2004. Currently, pwcs comprise more than 19 per-cent of all Arizona watercraft registrations. However,pwc operators receive a disproportionate amount ofinjuries compared to other watercraft types. Forexample, more than 28 percent of all accidents in-

volving pwcs result in bodily injuries, and theseinjuries account for 40 percent of all boating inju-ries. Furthermore, two of the 11 fatalities in 2004

(roughly 18 percent) involved pwcs. These statisticsare higher than any other type of watercraft. Manyof these accidents can be attributed to the fact thatnumerous first time operators are renting or havejust recently purchased a pwc. A pwc is operateddifferently than a traditional boat and averages moretime on the water than traditional watercraft.

The increased use of the Colorado River systemfrom Lake Powell to Yuma is another area of con-cern to the Arizona Game and Fish Departmentand other law enforcement agencies. Sixty-ninepercent of all Arizona watercraft accidents oc-curred along the Colorado River. An increase inlaw enforcement activity, particularly oui enforce-ment, and a focus on boating education have beenshown to help reduce the number of boating acci-dents along the river.

This information was compiled from boatingaccident reports submitted to the Arizona Gameand Fish Department by watercraft enforcementagencies and persons involved in watercraft acci-dents throughout Arizona. For more informationon boating safety education, call (602) 789-3235.

A father and his children take a ride on a personal watercraft at Saguaro Lake in 2003.

Arizona Game and Fish Department officers removean alleged impaired boater from his watercraft andconduct an OUI investigation on Roosevelt Lake inJuly 2004.

National Association of State Boating Law Administrators

Arizona’s 2005 Boating Law

EnforcementOfficer of theYearThe National Association of StateBoating Law Administrators devel-oped the Boating Law EnforcementOfficer of the Year award in 2000 torecognize and honor outstandingservice to recreational boating. Thisaward symbolizes the highest levelof achievement among boating lawenforcement officers in the UnitedStates. Each state selects its ownofficer of the year. The state recipi-ents are eligible for one of threeregional awards and the regionalrecipients compete for the ButchPotts National Boating Law Enforcement Officerof the Year Award.

Officer Tim Baumgarten is a 23-year veteranwith the Arizona Game and Fish Department andis currently assigned to the Kingman region as theLaw Enforcement Program Manager. Tim is recog-

nized throughout Arizona and the western states asone of the top experts and leading authorities inwatercraft law enforcement, boat theft investiga-tions, operating under the influence enforcement,and watercraft accident investigations.

Tim has personally accounted for more than100 oui arrests so far in his career,and has assisted fellow officerswith hundreds more. Tim was in-volved in the first oui checkpointin Arizona in 1993, and since thenhas participated and/or supervisedin approximately 70 on-the-watersobriety checkpoints, more thanany Arizona watercraft officer.Last year alone, Tim supervisedeight Colorado River oui check-points that resulted in 342

citations and 31 oui arrests.Tim is a lead instructor at Ari-

zona Game and Fish Department’sannual Watercraft Enforcement

Tactics Survival School and has been instructingnationally since 2004 as a National Association ofState Boating Law Administrators boating underthe influence instructor. He taught oui enforcementat the 2003 International Boating and Water SafetySummit in Las Vegas, Nev. and gave a presenta-tion at the Annual Alcohol Summit put on by theGovernor’s Office of Highway Safety in Arizona. In1997, Tim received an award of merit from theNational Water Safety Congress. Additionally, Ari-zona Game Ranger Fraternal Order of Policerecognized him as the 2002 outstanding game andfish officer of the year.

azgfd.gov 13

Arizona Game and FishDepartment officer TimBaumgarten

Previous Arizona Boating Law Enforcement Officer of the Year recipients

2004 Jerry Burns, La Paz County Sheriff ’s Office

2003 Deanna Pfleger, Arizona Game and Fish Department

2002 No nominations received

2001 Gerald Duvall, Bullhead City Police Department

2000 Steve Andrews, Arizona Game and Fish Department

For information on boating education classes visit azgfd.gov or

call the Arizona Game and Fish Department at (602) 789-3235.

Documents

Arizona Game and Fish Department - azgfd.gov · PDF fileArizona Game and Fish Department ... National Park Service officers investigate a boat accident on Lake Powell in July of 2004