Boating fatalities abnormally high in 2018
On the heels of a year when more people died from boating accidents in North Carolina than in any other year since 1990, the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission is urging caution on the water.
A total of 35 people lost their lives last year, of whom 29 were not wearing a life vest. The 35 fatalities included two on the French Broad River, one on Fontana Lake, one on the Cheoah River, one on the Green River and one on the Linville River.
To prevent tragedies, boaters should wear personal flotation devices, appoint a designated driver, assign an adult to supervise children, swim only in designated swimming areas and throw flotation devices to drowning people rather than going in after them. The Wildlife Commission offers free boater safety courses, listed at www.ncwildlife.org/boating/marina-resources/boating-education-courses.
