This video clip is from a previous incident where Coast Guard and Honolulu Fire Department responders rescued a 52-year-old man after his kayak capsized offshore Waialua, April 27, 2016. The kayaker was escorted to shore by a Coast Guard rescue swimmer and HFD first responders after a rogue wave capsized his kayak approximately one mile offshore Waialua Beach. The Coast Guard recommends everyone wear life jackets any time they are on the water. U.S. Coast Guard video by Air Station Barbers Point.
HONOLULU — The Coast Guard released its 2015 Recreational Boating Statistics ahead of National Safe Boating Week beginning Saturday, which shows an increase in recreational boating accidents and Hawaii state data also shows a continued increase in water fatalities, particularly drownings.
From 2014 to 2015, accidents increased from nine to 12 and fatalities rose from three to five. Of the five fatalities, all of the victims were not wearing lifejackets and the primary causes of the accidents were capsizing and swamping or flooding.
The Coast Guard reminds the public these national statistics are related to boating only and do not speak to snorkelers, surfers, paddle boarders or free divers. According to the state of Hawaii Department of Health, in the last five years, 2010 to 2014, there were 385 drowning deaths in Hawaii, a 25 percent increase over the 1995 to 1999 period.
The report also shows that nationally in 2015: The majority of recreational boating accidents occurred on Saturday and Sunday between the hours of 4:30 and 6:30 p.m.
Operator inattention, operator inexperience, improper lookout, machinery failure and excessive speed ranked as the top five primary contributing factors in accidents.
“Hawaii is synonymous with the ocean and while we encourage people to enjoy the natural beauty and bounty of the ocean simple precaution can help you do so safely,” said Lt. Kevin Cooper, Chief of Incident Management, Coast Guard Sector Honolulu. “Wear your lifejacket, inform someone of your plans and when you’ll return, take communication devices such as a handheld VHF-FM radio, cellular phone or personal locator beacon, and ensure you have water and provisions for the trip.”
Nationwide where the cause of death was known, 76 percent of fatal boating accident victims drowned; of those drowning victims, 85 percent were not wearing a life jacket. Where boating instruction was known, 71 percent of deaths occurred on vessels where the operator had not received boating safety instruction. The most common types of vessels involved in reported accidents were open motorboats between 16 and 26-feet in length, and the vessel types with the highest number of fatalities were on open motorboats, kayaks and canoes.
In addition, the Coast Guard reminds all boaters to boat responsibly while on the water: wear a life jacket, take a boating safety course, attach your engine cut-off switch, get a free vessel safety check and avoid alcohol or other impairing substance consumption.
The Coast Guard also encourages the use of the safe boating application available on most smart phones. The phone application can help boaters request safe boating information, request safety checks, file a float plan, review navigation rules, report hazards or pollution and request emergency situation. Although the safe boating application is a great tool, it is still recommended to have a marine VHF-FM radio installed on your boat or carry a handheld version. Calling on VHF-FM radio is the most reliable way to call for help in case of an emergency.
To view the 2015 Recreational Boating Statistics, go to http://uscgboating.org/library/accident-statistics/Recreational-Boating-....
For more information on boating responsibly, go to http://www.uscgboating.org.