Coast Guard Auxiliary leader seeks to reduce boating deaths

Posted on 30 August 2010

ShareTweet

The new Coast Guard Auxiliary national commodore is charging the Coast Guard Auxiliary with a mission - "to reduce deaths on our waterways."

"We need to recommit ourselves to improving recreational boating safety and making a serious dent in reducing the recreational boating death growth rates," Jim Vass, of Port O'Connor, Texas, said.

In 2009, there was an increase of 3.8 percent in recreational boating deaths because people fail to wear life jackets, are inattentive and consume alcohol while operating boats, according to Vass.

"Nearly 75 percent of the 736 people who died in boating accidents in 2009 drowned and 84 percent of those victims reportedly were not wearing a life jacket," Vass said. "Our waterways should be fun, not places where you lose your life."

Vass began his association with the Coast Guard Auxiliary in 1991 and has held positions at the local, regional and national levels. Most recently, he was the national vice commodore.

The Coast Guard Auxiliary, created by an Act of Congress in 1939, is the uniformed civilian component of the Coast Guard.

Comments

5 Tuesday, 31 August 2010 03:42

That's a double edged sword and a difficult one to deal with, b.  Though we despise too much government intervention in our fun, we have to rely on them to protect the innocent and the ignorant.  Then you and I get frustrated when they try to preach to us.  What is second nature to many of us is a whole lot of loose ends to others.  I see them at the boat ramp every weekend and they scare me.  It's just too bad all of this CGA education and the new requirements can't teach common-sense to the rookie boaters out on the water.

4 Tuesday, 31 August 2010 01:29

More people die by lightning strikes each year than die in boating accidents. Keep up the good work of education and volunteer inspections. If the stats were true...(fall off of a pier is a boating accident)??, I think the number would be even less .

3 Monday, 30 August 2010 16:54

Response to Mari Lou Livingston.  As an AMERICAN it is my decision when and when not not to wear a PFD.  I have worked on the water my whole life.  I don't need some WEEKEND WARRIOR telling me what to do.  Even in the case of children it is the job of the parent, not the government to make that decision.  We have too much government already, that is the real problem.  Over regulation is forcing people to not even get involved in boating.   

2 Monday, 30 August 2010 16:50

You're absolutely right; and those two things, education and boater safety, comprise the primary focus of the Auxiliary.  You can be sure that Commodore Vass will push hard for a continuation of the effort to get the word out that knowledgeable boaters understand the need for life vests and in depth education.

1 Monday, 30 August 2010 15:31

We also need to begin educating our our youth at an earlier age so that boating safety and pfd use becomes an institututional act with boating and fishing.

Add your comment

Your name:	Required, screen names acceptable
Your email:	Required, will not be published
Comments are moderated and generally will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive. For more information, please see our Comments Policy.:
Word verification:
	Post Preview

yvComment v.1.21.1