Editor’s Note: Media are asked to be at the Watson Island boat ramp no later than 9:45 a.m. For more information and/or to RSVP, please contact Coast Guard Petty Officer 3rd Class Eric Woodall at 786-367-7649.
MIAMI, Fla. — The U.S. Coast Guard along with partner agencies are scheduled to hold a press briefing to kick off the Memorial Day Weekend and cap off National Safe Boating Week (May 21 - 27) in Miami Beach, Friday.WHO: Coast Guard Lt. Cmdr. Michael Cortese, Station Miami Beach, Florida, and representatives from Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, Village of Key Biscayne, City of Miami Fire Rescue, Miami-Dade Fire Rescue and Coast Guard Auxiliary.
WHAT: Press briefing about safe boating for Memorial Day Weekend and National Safe Boating Week.WHEN: Friday, May 27, 2016 at 10 a.m.WHERE: Watson Island Boat Ramp, 1050 McArthur Causeway, Miami, Fla., 33132 . During the holiday, increased traffic on the water is expected. Coast Guard stations throughout the Coast Guard 7th District, along with state and local law enforcement and safety agencies, will be on patrol to ensure safety and security on the water, although the Coast Guard reminds boaters that safety starts at the dock before you board your boat.
Before heading out make sure that every passenger, including the captain, is wearing a life jacket. Over 80 percent of all drownings can be attributed to not wearing a life jacket; nobody knows when an accident will occur so wearing it will decrease your risk of drowning.
Additionally, taking a boating education course can help reduce the risk of accidents as well as registering your Emergency Positioning Indicating Radio Beacon (EPIRB), Personal Locating Beacon (PLB) and Digital Selective Calling (DSC) Marine Radio can help speed up post-accident recovery.
As always, alcohol and boating don’t mix. Only a third of the alcohol needed to make a person impaired on the road can make a person equally impaired on the water, so use extreme caution when drinking this weekend.
For breaking news, please follow us on Twitter @uscgsoutheast.