Game Wardens Report Kids Not Wearing Life Jackets
June 3, 2008
Despite a law mandating life jacket wear for kids, Nevada game wardens are reporting a disturbing trend on local waterways. Many children are not wearing life jackets while boating. The law was changed early this year upping the age requirement by one year, and now all children under the age of 13 years are required to wear life jackets while underway on a boat.
“We only have anecdotal information on this issue right now,” said Lieutenant David Pfiffner, the supervising game warden on Lake Mead. “But we issued enough citations over the holiday weekend that we want to again emphasize how important life jackets are, particularly to this vulnerable population.”
Over the Memorial Day weekend, traditionally the kickoff to boating season, game wardens issued at least 11 tickets for kids not wearing life jackets, alarming wardens and other boating officers who patrol and enforce state law. “Kids can drown in a second, so we really want to encourage parents to make sure their children have life jackets and are wearing them,” said Pfiffner. People who ride Personal Watercraft (PWCs) and people who are towed behind a boat are also required to wear life jackets, he said.
Besides life jacket wear, game wardens also remind boaters that people born on or after January 1, 1983 must take a boating education course to operate a motorboat of more than 15 horsepower on Lakes Mead and Mohave and on the Colorado River near Laughlin.
The boating education correspondence course can be ordered online at www.ndow.org
. Boaters can also choose to take it online at this address as well. There are also several other organizations, such as the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary, that offer safe boating courses.
“People really should take the course, even if it is not required,” said Captain Fred Messmann, Nevada’s boating law administrator. “Our statistics clearly show that people who take a boating course get in fewer accidents. Taking a course can even save boaters money on their insurance.”
Even if a boater is not required to wear a life jacket or take a boating course, both of these safety tips are great precautions for a safe boating trip. “People don’t think about life jackets or a boating course until they get into trouble on the lake,” said Pfiffner. “We could avoid a lot of accidents and fatalities if boaters would take a few precautions ahead of time.”
The Nevada Department of Wildlife (NDOW) protects, restores and manages fish and wildlife, promotes fishing, hunting, and boating safety. NDOW’s wildlife and habitat conservation efforts are primarily funded by sportsmen’s license and conservation fees and a federal surcharge on hunting and fishing gear. Support wildlife and habitat conservation in Nevada by purchasing a hunting, fishing, or combination license. For more information, visit www.ndow.org.
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Water Sports Enthusiasts Sought For Boating Committee
May 29, 2008
The Clark County Commission is accepting applications from boating enthusiasts who are interested in filling one of two vacancies on the county’s seven-member Boating Facilities and Safety Committee. Applicants must be a resident of Clark County.
One vacancy is for an individual who is a member of a nonprofit organization involved in outdoor recreational activities associated with boats and boating. The second vacancy is for a member of the general public who is not identified with a specific organization.
The new members will serve two-year terms beginning in July. The Boating Facilities and Safety Committee is a volunteer board that advises the County Commission on how to spend marina fuel taxes generated at the Lake Mead National Recreation Area.
Interested boating and water sports enthusiasts are urged to call the Clark County Manager’s Office at (702) 455-3530 to obtain an application. Completed applications must be submitted to the Manager’s Office by 1 p.m. June 19, and applicants are encouraged to briefly address the committee during its 2 p.m. meeting that same day. New members are appointed by the County Commission based on recommendations from the committee.
Since the committee was created in 1986, more than $1 million in marina fuel tax revenue has paid for safety programs, equipment and educational projects that promote boating and water safety at Lake Mead, Lake Mojave and on the Colorado River.
Current members of the committee represent the Nevada Yacht Club, Desert Valley Water Safety Council, the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary, Las Vegas Sail & Power Squadron, Lake Mead Boat Owner’s Association, the Nevada Department of Wildlife and the public at large.
The committee typically meets six times a year. Meetings are held at the County Government Center, 500 S. Grand Central Parkway in downtown Las Vegas.
The Nevada Department of Wildlife (NDOW) protects, restores and manages fish and wildlife, and promotes fishing, hunting, and boating safety. NDOW’s wildlife and habitat conservation efforts are primarily funded by sportsmen’s license and conservation fees and a federal surcharge on hunting and fishing gear. Support wildlife and habitat conservation in Nevada by purchasing a hunting, fishing, or combination license. For more information, visit www.ndow.org.
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Visit the Safe Boating Celebration at Lake Pleasant
May 12, 2008
Is your watercraft safe and ready for the water? If you hesitated while answering this question, then you won’t want to miss the 2008 Arizona Safe Boating Celebration at Lake Pleasant Regional Park on May 17 from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. Boating experts from the Arizona Game and Fish Department will be present and free vessel safety checks will be offered by the U.S. Power Squadron and U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary at the ten- and four-lane boat ramps.
The average check takes approximately 15 minutes and can be performed while you’re preparing to launch your boat. During the check, examiners will review federal and state boating laws and recommend equipment that will help to ensure that your boat is operating safely. Experts will also be on hand to provide information on how to select the right lifejacket, the effects of carbon monoxide poisoning, and those pesky aquatic hitchhikers – quagga mussels.
Don’t have a boat? No problem. Visit the vintage life jacket display to see how life jackets have evolved over the years, or take a wakeboard or kayak out for a test drive at the ten-lane boat ramp. Prizes will be raffled off throughout the morning. The event is included in the $5 per vehicle park entry fee.
For more information on the event, visit www.azsafeboating.org. Lake Pleasant Regional Park is located at 41835 N. Castle Hot Springs Road in Morristown. From I-17, take SR-74 (Carefree Highway) west; turn right at Mile Post 19; three miles to the park entrance. For additional information on the park, visit www.maricopa.gov/parks/lake_pleasant.
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