Tips on how to end boating fatalities
On Wednesday 9 year old Kaden Frederick was killed, another 11 year old injured after falling off a pontoon boat in Ocean City. So what needs to be done to stop these accidents from happening?
47 ABC spoke with Maryland District 38 Senator Jim Mathias and he says, “Please take the moment to make good decisions.”
That’s what Mathias believes could have prevented many of the boating accidents in Ocean City. Mathias tells 47 ABC, “Any time that you have a large population that comes to an area whether it be a resort or residential or urban area you’re going to have incidents.”
Frederick was killed after Police say he sitting with his feet hanging off the front of a pontoon boat before he fell and was hit by the boats propeller. Candy Thomson, spokesperson for Maryland Department of Natural Resources tells 47 ABC the child was sitting on the front because the boat was overloaded with 17 people.
Thomson also spoke to 47 ABC Thursday on boat safety. She says one critically important step to take when going out on the water, wear your life jacket. In the state of Maryland it is required that children wear life jackets. Thomson tells 47 ABC, just this year, there have been 12 deaths on the water and none of them were wearing life jackets.
Thomson tells 47 ABC, “You may be the best swimmer, but if you fall from a boat, if you are incapacitated, if you are injured in some way, you’re not going to be able to take care of yourself and that’s where life jackets really helps.”
Another safety step to take, never sit on the bow of the boat. Thompson says it’s illegal and police will not hesitate to pull you over for it. Thomson tells 47 ABC, “What needs to change is people’s mindsets quite frankly, we took a long time to get people into the habit of wearing a seat belt, the same thing needs to happen with like jackets.”
Officials tell 47 ABC, Frederick was not wearing a life jacket. No word yet on if any charges will be pending in this case. 47 ABC was able to find a Go Fund Me account to cover any costs associated with the young boy’s death and you can find it here: https://www.gofundme.com/2kev93w
