VILANO BEACH, Fla. — Memorial Day weekend is just around the corner, and that means plenty of boaters are ready to hit the water.
“We make sure that there are items on your boat that are useful, such as first aid kit, such as anchor, in case you get a particular problem, there are several items that are required, both federally and by the state of Florida, to be on your boat,” St. Augustine flotilla staff officer Benny Peters told Action News Jax on Sunday.
Sunday morning at the Vilano boat ramp, Coast Guard auxiliary officials did boating inspections to kick off National Safe Boating Week.
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“The most important things, there are several, but the most important thing is that you have up-to-date life jackets, and that you wear them, and then you have the life jackets that are sized for adults and for children,” Peters added.
Life jackets can make the difference between life and death, something Jessica Mercer is all too aware of, with two younger children of her own.
“The kids always wear their life vests when the boat’s moving and when it’s parked, because you never know how deep the water is, unless we’re docked on the shore,” Mercer explained.
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Now, Coast Guard officials are asking everyone to make sure their boats are up to safety standards ahead of the busy boating Memorial Day weekend and summer months.
However, officials also ask that boaters celebrate responsibly, as alcohol can often complicate situations when disaster strikes.
“When you take and you drink alcohol, it tends to slow your response down,” Peters explained. “So decisions that you could really make quickly take a little bit longer. And you actually may be taking a little bit more risk than you usually do. And because of that slow response time, it could be a problem when you’re out there.”
You can find more boater safety resources as well on the Coast Guard website by clicking the link here.
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