M A Y O RDECEMBER 14 - 20, 2006 7SAFETYJULY 6 – JULY 12, 2017

1. How do I ensure my children’s safety while swimming?

The safest place for children to swim is in a roped-off area with a trained lifeguard present. Not all lakes provide a swim-ming area. For those without one, follow these tips:

n Make sure the area is clean, well maintained and away from boaters.

n Check docks for loose nails or broken boards and keep children from swimming under-neath.

n Inflatable toys, while fun, should not be used as a personal flo-tation device. Always keep a close eye on children.

n Jump in feet first to avoid injury.

n Learn CPR in case of an emergency.

n Bright-colored swimsuits keep children visible in natural surround-ings.

n Outfit children in water shoes to keep them safe from sharp objects.

n Keep plenty of water and sunscreen on shore.

2. How do I stay safe while swimming in the ocean?

The American Red Cross of-fers these tips:

n Never swim alone.n Check the surf conditions

before you enter the water. Check to see if a warning flag is up or check with a lifeguard for water conditions, beach condi-tions, or any potential hazards.

n Stay away from piers, pil-ings and diving platforms when in the water.

n Keep a lookout for aquat-ic life. Water plants and ani-mals may be dangerous. Avoid patches of plants. Leave animals alone.

n Make sure you always have enough energy to swim back to shore.

3. What should I do if caught in a rip current while swimming in the ocean?

Don’t panic. A rip cur-rent will not pull you un-der the water, only out to sea. Remain calm to con-serve energy and swim parallel to shore to escape the current. Once free of the current, swim back to shore.

You can prevent get-ting caught in a rip cur-rent by recognizing what it looks like. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Adminis-tration says to look for any of these conditions:

n A channel of churning, choppy water.

n An area having a notable difference in water color.

n A line of foam, seaweed or debris moving steadily seaward.

n A break in the incoming wave pattern.

4. What tags/registration are needed when boating?

According to the U.S. Coast Guard, all undocumented ves-sels with any sort of propulsion must be registered in the state in which it will be used most. When you register, you’ll be given a “certificate of number,” which must be displayed on your boat or other personal wa-tercraft. Numbers must be paint-ed or permanently attached to each side of the forward half of the craft in at least 3-inch-high block letters. Validation stick-ers have to be within six inches of the registration number, ac-cording to your state instruction. Your state boating authority has a list of registration require-ments; some states require all vessels to be registered.

5. What should be on my pre-departure checklist?

Before leaving the dock, these safety items are needed:

n Personal flotation device for all passengers

n Throwable flotation devicen Fire extinguisher and flame

arrestorn First-aid kit

n Muffler installed on the en-gine

n Horn, whistle or belln Navigation lightsBoaters should also make sure

their boat is operating properly and complete the following:

n Give a float plan to a re-sponsible person on shore.

n Check the steering and throttle controls and lights.

n Check for fuel leaks.n Check personal flotation

devices for mildew or broken straps.

n Drain water from the en-gine and make sure the bilge

plug is secure.n Make sure fire extin-

guisher is fully charged.

6. What’s a float plan?

A float plan is given to someone remaining on-shore such as a relative, friend or a local marina employee. In the event of an emergency, float plans allow help to reach you and contain information about where you are go-

ing; time of departure and ex-pected time of return; boat de-scription; number; size; make and capacity; the number of passengers; and an emergency contact.

7. When and why should I check the weather conditions?

Weather should be checked before leaving and periodical-ly throughout the day. Boaters

should remain aware of cloud formations and rapid changes in weather conditions. Puffy clouds with considerable ver-tical development indicate unstable air. Boaters with marine radios can check weather reports from local Coast Guard sta-tions or from the NO-AA Weather Radio, found at seven fre-quencies rang-ing from 162.400 to 162.550. For sta-tion listings, go to www.nws.noaa.gov/nwr/cover-age/station_list-ing.html.

8. What do I do if I get caught in bad weather?

In addition to putting on a personal flotation device, pas-sengers and boaters should:

n Sit low in the bottom of the boat to avoid lightning.

n Secure loose items.n Keep water out of the bilge.n Steer the bow at a 40-45 de-

gree angle into the waves and head to the nearest shore.

n Anchor the boat if the en-gine fails.

9. What do I do if someone falls overboard?

If a passenger falls overboard, boaters should:

n Throw the victim a person-al flotation device if he or she isn’t wearing one.

n Reduce speed and turn

around slowly.n Approach the victim from

downwind or into the current — whichever is stronger — stop

the engine and pull the vic-tim into the boat.

To prevent people from falling overboard,

keep passengers off areas not des-

ignated for seating. Don’t stand up, move

around when the boat is under way or lean off

the side, and don’t sit on pedestal seats when boat

is not idling

10. What do I do if there is a boating

accident?Always check with your state

boating authority: Some states require all boating accidents to be reported immediately. The U.S. Coast Guard requires that a Boating Accident Report (BAR) be filed if a boat is involved in an accident that results in the fol-lowing:

n Loss of life.n Personal injury that re-

quires medical treatment be-yond first aid.

n Damage to the boat and other property damage of $2,000 or more.

n Complete loss of the boat.Timelines for reporting types

of accidents vary. Go to www.uscgboating.org/safety/fedreqs/law_report.htm for full details.

11. How many boat-ing fatalities occur each year and what are the causes?

In 2016, the Coast Guard counted 4,463 accidents that in-volved 701deaths and 2,903 in-juries. Alcohol use was the lead-ing contributing factor in fatal boating accidents.

12. What is boater’s fatigue?

According to the American Red Cross, people should be aware of the “dangerous toos” — too tired, too cold, too far from shore, too much sun and too much strenuous activity. The combination of these elements wears on the minds and bodies of boaters, increasing the risk of drowning, especially when mixed with alcohol.

13. What is BWI or BUI?Depending on your state,

boating while consuming al-cohol is called a BWI, or boat-ing while intoxicated, or a BUI, boating under the influence. A BWI or BUI can lead to fines and/or an arrest for those op-erating a boat with a .08 blood-

alcohol level (.10 in some states) or higher.

14. Does everyone on the boat need to wear a life jacket?

Everyone under the age of 13 is required to wear a Coast Guard-approved personal flo-

tation device, and poor swim-mers should wear one, too.

Boaters are required to have a personal flota-

tion device on board for all passengers.

15. How do I know if my

child’s life jacket fits correct-ly? See graphic, below.

16. What are safety

tips for water

sports?When towing a

skier or tuber, check equipment and ropes for

wear and tear, keep an extra person on board to watch, stay

parallel to the shore when land-ing, know proper hand signals, keep watch for underwater ob-structions such as floating de-bris, always wear a personal flo-tation device when being towed and be mindful of the time (in most states, skiing is prohibited between sunset and sunrise).

17. What is a personal watercraft?

Examples are Jet Skis and wa-ter bikes where operators sit, stand or kneel on the vessel rather than inside it.

18. What are the rules and regulations regarding personal watercraft?

Rules vary by state and can be downloaded in a PDF for-mat from the U.S. Coast Guard: http://www.uscgboating.org

19. How do I safely use my personal watercraft?

Operators should follow these tips for a safe ride:

n Follow the 50-foot rule. All operators must keep their per-sonal watercraft 50 feet away from other vessels, platforms or people unless idling.

n Don’t operate one at night. In most states, it is illegal to use one between sunset and sunrise.

n Be courteous, follow traf-fic patterns and don’t jump

the wake of another vessel.n Travel with friends. Travel-

ing with two or three other per-sonal watercraft ensures help if an emergency occurs.

20. What environmental considerations should I take into account when operating a personal watercraft?

If not used correctly they can cause serious harm to the en-vironment. Before operating yours, take the following into consideration:

n Stay out of shallow water. Running your personal water-craft in shallow water disturbs sediment and aquatic vegeta-tion, which can clog the water pump.

n Don’t create unnecessary wake. When too close to shore, creating a wake can cause ero-sion.

n Only dock in designated areas. Docking on shore or in reeds and grasses damages deli-cate environments.

n If possible, fuel your per-sonal watercraft on land. This prevents oil and gasoline spills, which are harmful to the envi-ronment.

— Written and compiled by Jennifer Hall, Fort Worth

Star-Telegram

Facts, tips and trivia

about water safety, rules

and laws

MCTA hand-held marine radio helps boaters stay on top of weather and distress calls.

MCTA first-aid kit should be kept on board any boat.

MCTRiders of personal watercraft, such as this Sea-Doo, should take special precautions when in the water.

KAREN SCHIELY/MCT

MCT