FWC hopes for no boating deaths again this Labor Day, and they’re ready to ticket unsafe boaters

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Labor Day weekend — the unofficial end of Summer — is one of the busiest boating holiday weekends of the year. That comes with risks, especially when boaters don’t follow safety best practices.

This year, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) is hoping to again report no fatalities over the weekend, as it did last Labor Day, and its officers are prepared to crack down on those who might threaten anyone else’s safety.

Though last year’s Labor Day weekend saw zero boating deaths, officers had to remove 20 unsafe and impaired boaters from waterways in the state and issued more than 380 citations and warnings to more than 2,800 boaters found violating safety standards. Those interactions also come with education on how to make boating safer.

“I would like nothing more than to report that there were no boating accident fatalities again this year,” FWC Law Enforcement Division Director Brian Smith said. “However, it has been a deadly summer on Florida waters, despite the efforts of FWC and our local partners.”

“We will take every opportunity to remind boaters to designate an operator who will remain sober, and we can never say this enough, please wear a life jacket while on the water,” he added. “We want everyone to enjoy this holiday weekend, but nothing can ruin a great day on the water faster than a boating accident. FWC is asking you to do your part to reduce boating accidents.”

FWC is offering safety advice to those planning to head out onto the water this weekend, including paying attention while operating a vessel, always maintaining 360-degree awareness and allowing someone who has taken a boater safety course to operate the boat.

More than 80% of operators involved in fatal boating accidents last year had no formal boating education.

More information on safe boating practices and boater safety classes is available online.