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Feature,
Greg
Peterson
Preserving Life
The best advice for Preserving Life
If you don't want to float with the angels or someplace hotter,
marine officials say always wear a life preserver when boating.
Thousands of Yoopers headed out in their boats in late April for the
trout opener, and walleye and pike seasons open soon. Common sense advice
for boaters includes teaching passengers what to do in different emergencies,
and filing a float plan.
Just like an airline pilot, the captain of a boat
should let someone know details about the trip like the number on board,
destination, purpose of trip, travel route, plus time of departure and
return. While not mandatory, it allows for the quick notification of
rescue officials, and a suggested search area.
National Safe Boating Week is May 18-24, but marine officials hope boaters
will practice safety whenever they're on the water, said Robin Turner,
National Weather Service (NWS) warning coordination meteorologist in
Negaunee Township.
Preliminary statistics show there were 645 boating-related deaths nationwide
in 2001, Turner said.
In 2000, there were 701 boating-related deaths; of those 519 were drowning
and 60 percent happened after capsizing, falling overboard, or because
of flooded or swamped boats, Turner said.
"How many of those could have been saved if they were wearing their
life jackets?" Turner asked.
In 2000, there were 227 boating-related accidents in Michigan, resulting
in thirty-one fatalities and 138 injuries.
U.S. Coast Guard statistics show that eighty percent of those who drown
could have been saved if they had been wearing life jackets.
"Michigan is a state that people really do enjoy the water,"
Turner said. "We have a very intensive recreational area up here
with all the lakes."
The decision on whether to wear a life preserver is "a no-brainer,"
according to retired NWS forecaster Jack Pellett.
"If you go into the water without a life preserver,
particularly in frigid water like Lake Superior, your chances of survival
are drastically reduced," Pellett said. "I wear a life preserver
continuously when I'm kayaking or canoeing."
Boaters from across the midwest trek to U.P. lakes and streams. By 1996,
there were nearly one million registered boats and watercrafts in Michigan,
and that has since jumped by another 200,000.
"We have lots of people taking advantage of all of our lake systems
around here," Turner said. "We want to make sure that people
wear their life jackets when they are out boating." Children under
six years old must wear a Coast Guard-approved life jacket when in a
boat.
Anyone under age twelve is not allowed to operate
a personal watercraft, commonly known as a Jet Ski, and must wear a
life jacket if riding or being towed.
Also, life preservers are required by law for anyone twelve years of
age and older if "they are operating, riding on, or being towed
behind a personal watercraft or Jet Ski," said Ann Wilson, Michigan
Department of Natural Resources spokeswoman in Marquette.
There are many new laws this year involving personal watercraft, including
no fast beaching of a Jet Ski. And you can't jump the wake of other
boats, weave through congested traffic, harass wildlife, or swerve at
the last moment to scare others.
Some boating-related fatalities can be prevented by simply putting on
a life jacket. They can be uncomfortable, but they save lives.
Everyone should wear a life jacket, even if everything appears calm,
because "things can change real quickly out there," Pellett
said.
Even if your boat is less than sixteen feet in length, you must have
a Coast Guard-approved life preserver for everyone on board, Wilson
said, adding that it's a smart idea to wear the life jackets.
There are four types of life jackets. Each type is explained in the
2002 Michigan Boating Laws and Responsibilities handbook, which is available
at most DNR offices.
"[Life jackets] should not be in plastic bags or in another container
like a duffel," Wilson said. "They should be at hand and easily
accessible."
No Drive-Time Shock Jocks; NOAA Weather Radio Saves Lives
"We want them to stay safe," Turner said. "We also want
them to pay attention to the weather radio."
The NWS offers twenty-four-hour weather advisories through NOAA Weather
Radio broadcasts, or their Web site. These broadcasts can be picked
up on most U.P. lakes and streams.
It's smart to check your favorite source for weather before venturing
out, and monitor NOAA Weather Radio while on the water.
Yoopers know how quickly the weather can change. Small Craft Advisories
are issued when weather and wave conditions may cause trouble for small-
to medium- sized boats.
"The criteria for Small Craft Advisories is winds of eighteen to
thirty-three knots, and/or waves of four feet or greater," Turner
said. "When these conditions are occurring, it's recommended that
boaters and small craft operators do not go out onto the water."
Boaters Should Be Prepared, Just Like Boy Scouts
State and federal laws govern what equipment is required on boats. The
rules differ depending on the size of your watercraft.
"In some cases, you may be required to carry a fire extinguisher,
depending on the size of the boat you have," said Wilson.
Six-hour boating safety courses are required for twelve- to sixteen-year-olds,
Wilson said. New boaters are required to carry their safe boating certificate
when on the water, along with their boat registration.
The courses are offered by the DNR and local sheriff's department.
Last year, almost 16,000 young boaters in Michigan, ages twelve to sixteen,
passed the boating safety course, Wilson said.
"We encourage everybody that operates a boat in Michigan to take
a boater's safety course," she said, adding that newcomers to the
U.P. also should take a safety course.
"We especially encourage people who have just moved to the Great
Lakes from other areas and haven't had the opportunity to spend a lot
of time on the water," Wilson said. "People who are new to
the area should take advantage of taking a boater safety class.
"This so they can become aquainted with some of the situations
that can occur because the Great Lakes, especially Lake Superior, can
be terribly beautiful but terribly awful too. It can change in a heart
beat. People need to be aware of the changing moods (weather and currents),
especially Lake Superior, and also watershed areas during times of heavy
rain and high run-off."
Call your local DNR office to find out when the next boating safety
course is offered.
"They offer instruction in boating and water safety, and how to
read navigation aids which can be very confusing to people who don't
understand them," Wilson said.
Drunk Boaters are as Dangerous as Drunk Drivers
Alcohol and boating don't mix. Drunken boaters can be arrested and face
serious charges if an accident causes death or injury, Wilson said.
The boating safety courses teach boaters about water navigation rules,
equipment requirements and how to avoid and report accidents. A boater
involved in an accident should "remain calm," Wilson said.
"Don't allow your fear to overrule your common sense," she
said.
Safe boating courses can help a person react properly in the event of
an accident.
Knowledge Can Save Your Life; So Can Your Life Preserver
"That's what training is all about," Wilson said. "Training
instills a certain mind set, and confidence."
Who has the right of way on the water can differ depending
on the situation. The safety courses answer questions like: "Who
has the right of way and under what circumstances?" Wilson said.
Safety courses for boaters also answer questions like how to pass on
the water, safe distance between boats, and how to signal, Wilson said.
Michigan has taken an active role in boater education, and that translates
into fewer deaths.
Over the past decade, Michigan averaged fewer than five fatal accidents
per 100,000 registered boats, Wilson said.
"That's actually a very good number by comparison to other states
and it's well within the established parameters set by the United States
Coast Guard."
In recent years, boating fatalities have included two canoers who drowned
during a storm while paddling a few miles from the Keweenaw Peninsula
to an island. Their boat washed up near Baraga and their bodies were
discovered near Munising.
And a Marquette fisherman drowned on Lake Superior when a freak storm
kicked up big surf, swamping his small boat not far from shore. Once
the fast-moving storm was over, rescuers found his pickup truck and
trailer, the only vehicle left in the boat launch parking lot, an ominous
sign that something was wrong.
"Michigan is actually a relatively safe state when you think about
all the water that we have around us, and how much we use it for one
of our main sources of recreation," Wilson said.
"If you wait five minutes" ... Well, Yoopers Know the Rest
Many commercial radio stations offer weather updates, but need listeners
for ratings. NOAA weather radio doesn't need your business, but it can
save your life.
"People need to stay tuned to our forecasts," Turner said.
"Just because it looks nice when you start out on the lake does
not mean that conditions won't rapidly change."
Never try to out-guess or outrun a storm, Turner said.
"Different storm systems may be coming in and you'll see rapidly
developing thunderstorms; if you see storms developing got to shore
immediately. Don't wait for the storm to get closer," he said
NOAA weather radio reception is improving, and Pellett was surpised
to learn he could pick up the signal almost continuously while hiking
the Appalachian Trail.
Lightning is Fun To Watch ... But Boaters Beware
Lightning can kill a boater in the blink of an eye. Weather forecasters
say you don't need clouds overhead to be struck by lightning.
"If you can see the lightening or hear the thunder, you are close
enough to be struck by lightning," Turner said.
If boaters wait for a storm to pass, they must be careful venturing
back out onto the water.
"Most people that are struck by lightning are actually struck after
the thunderstorm has passed by," Turner said. "Thunderstorms
can generate lightning bolts up to ten to fifteen miles away."
"We all know that our fifteen-amp house current in enough to kill
you," Pellett said. "And one of these lightening strikes is
carrying 20,000 to 30,000 amps, and some of them can be over 100,000."
Boaters especially are at risk because they are the highest point around
when on a lake. If you are fishing, be aware that your fishing rod and
aluminum boat attract lightning.
"Graphite fishing poles are excellent conductors of electricity,
so it's like waving a metal rod," Turner said. "If you're
holding a metal rod, and you're in a metal boat, and you are the highest
point around, and you have a thunderstorm approaching—you are in
a dangerous position."
Pellett said the best move is to not get caught in a boat during a storm.
But, if you find yourself in that situation, try to stay below the decks
if you have that option.
"Stay away from the masts and electronic equipment, and keep your
hands and feet inside the boat," Pellett said. "Being in the
water would be about the worst place."
Once you're on shore, get out of your boat, get away from the water
and immediately seek shelter in a sturdy building.
Approaching thunderstorms bring lightening, and a change in both wind
speed and direction.
"Gusty winds can easily capsize smaller boats, especially when
you have very intense thunderstorms moving into the area," Turner
said. "You need to get out of the way of thunderstorms when they
approach."
If you are caught in a storm while on water and can't make it to shore,
double check all safety measures. Make sure everyone's life preservers
are properly secured.
"Stay below deck if possible and stay away from metal objects that
are not grounded to the boats protection system," Turner said.
"On small crafts, you're not going to have anything like that."
Cold Water Can Kill, Even Wearing a Life Preserver
Hypothermia can kill boaters if they are in cold water too long. That's
why boaters should carry two-way radios, flares, air horns or other
ways to attract attention or call for help.
The average survival time in fifty-degree water is less than three hours,
even with a life vest. Lakes Superior and Michigan take a while to warm
up each spring.
"In colder water (below fifty degrees), the average survival time
is even less," Turner said. "Lake Superior waters are generally
colder than 50 degrees. Hypothermia can kill you."
Even inland lakes will be cold during May, and falling overboard into
Lake Superior without a life jacket can be fatal.
"If your muscles begin to give you problems, you won't even be
able to climb back in the boat," Pellett said.
Weather officials say getting off the water when storms approach may
avoid capsizing or swamping your boat.
"It's best not to go into the water," Turner said. "One
storm capsizing a boat can result in a tragedy. But if you capsize,
stay with your boat. Don't try to swim to shore, it may be farther than
you think."
If you end up in the water, try to conserve energy and body heat.
"Keep your arms close to the body, keep your legs together,"
Turner said. "You should be wearing a life jacket, so you don't
need to tread water."
Boaters should wear several layers of clothing that can be removed or
put back on as conditions change. Wear insulating garments made of wool,
pile or fleece.
"They retain up to eighty percent of their insulating properties
when wet," Turner said.
Kayakers or canoeists may decide to wear a wet suit to provide even
more protection from cold water, Turner said.
Official Weather Spotters Needed
On May 2, the National Weather Service is offering a Skywarn presentation
for current or prospective weather spotters.
The spotter training will begin at 6:00 p.m. in the Marquette County
Emergency Management Service Conference Room, Building 1210, Sawyer
International Airport, at the former Sawyer Air Force Base.
There also will be a meeting of the Hiawatha Amateur Radio Club, Turner
said.
Spotters will be taught the proper way to report severe weather to the
NWS.
"We teach basic severe weather spotting techniques," Turner
said. "We also provide safety information and we give you reporting
information."
NOAA WX Frequencies for the Upper Peninsula and Area
The NOAA weather radio broadcasts reach about forty miles and sometimes
farther from each transmitter site.
The broadcasts tend to have better reception over water than land because
of surrounding terrain.
— Greg Peterson
NOAA WX Broadcasts
Marquette: KIG-66
Marine Weather Channel 1—162.550
Escanaba: KZZ-35
Marine Weather Channel 6—162.500
Houghton: WXK-73
Marine Weather Channel 2—162.400
Traverse City: KIH-22
Marine Weather Channel 2—162.400
Alpena: KIG-83
Marine Weather Channel 1—162.550
Green Bay, Wis.: KIG-65
Marine Weather Channel 1—162.550
SISTER BAY, Wis.: WXN-69
Marine Weather Channel 7—162.425
For additional boating safety information, please see:
www.safeboatingcampaign.com
www.zrh.noaa.gov/mqt
www.lightningsafety.noaa.gov
www.dnr.state.mi.us
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