Keeping you safe: Boating safety tips heading into a busy Memorial Day Weekend

86% of drowning victims were not wearing a life jacket when they were in the water

86% of drowning victims were not wearing a life jacket when they were in the water

FOR MANY IN KANSAS CITY MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND WILL BE SPENT AT THE LAKE. LAST YEAR ONE PERSON DIED, FOUR PEOPLE HURT IN NINE BOATING COLLISIONS. IN MISSOURI, NO ONE DROWNED. MISSOURI STATE TROOPERS WILL BE LOOKING FOR SEATBELT VIOLATORS, IMPAIRED DRIVERS AND BOATING VIOLATIONS. TROOPERS ALSO WANT YOU TO WEAR A LIFEJACKET IF YOU’RE BOATING GAME. IT’S NICE. DENNIS EVANS HAS MORE TIPS TO KEEP YOU SAFE. LIVE AT LONGVIEW LAKE RIGHT NOW, DENNIS YEAH, IT’S BEEN PRETTY STEADY OUT HERE ALL DAY LONG. YOU CAN SEE THE PARKING LOT STARTING TO FILL UP. I CAN’T EVEN IMAGINE WHAT IT’S GOING TO BE LIKE THIS WEEKEND FOR THE HOLIDAY AS EVERYTHING FROM PONTOON BOATS TO SPEED BOATS AND EVEN JET SKIS HIT THE WATER. IT WAS A GREAT DAY. THE POWELL BROTHERS EVEN HAVE THE FISH TO PROVE IT. PROBABLY FARM UP LATER THIS AFTERNOON, CUTTING UP THE FISH. THAT’S THE FINAL STEP OF THEIR DAY OUT ON THE WATER. THE FIRST STEP IS SAFETY. YOU NEVER KNOW IF SOMEBODY NEW AND YOU HAVE TO ACCOUNT FOR OTHER PEOPLE’S MISTAKES. SO ALWAYS BE WATCHFUL AND AWARE OF YOUR SURROUNDINGS. THE MISSOURI STATE HIGHWAY PATROL IS EXPECTING THOUSANDS OF NEW AND EXPERIENCED BOATERS TO BE OUT ON THE WATER THIS HOLIDAY WEEKEND. WE WANT YOU TO TAKE A LITTLE BIT OF TIME BEFORE YOU HIT THE WATER TO MAKE SURE YOU HAVE THE NUMBER ONE SAFETY DEVICE IN YOUR VESSEL, WHICH IS THE LIFEJACKET. A SIMPLE BUT MANDATORY PIECE OF SAFETY EQUIPMENT THAT MANY FORGET IN THEIR EXCITEMENT TO GET OUT IN THE WATER. BUT NOT THIS CREW OF LITTLE FISHERMAN. HE STRESSED IT RIGHT BEFORE WE GET ON THE LAKE, EVERY TIME WE NEED OUR LIFE JACKETS, FIRE EXTINGUISHERS, PROPER LIGHTING AND AN INSPECTION OF THE BOAT’S EXHAUST SYSTEM. ALSO ON THE SAFETY CHECKLIST, YOUR BOAT CAN EXPLODE UPON FUELING IF YOU DO NOT HAVE YOUR BLOWER ACTIVATED AND WHATNOT. LOTS OF THINGS THAT ARE JUST OVER LOOKED THE SAFETY LIST IS LONG, BUT ADHERING TO THE RULES IS PROVEN TO SAVE LIVES. WHAT IT DOESN’T GUARANTEE WE GOT TO SEE SOME FISH ON, YOU KNOW, THE FISH FINDER, BUT IT DIDN’T CATCH NONE. BUT STILL, THERE’S NOTHING ELSE BEING BETTER ON THE WATER. A REMINDER THE SAME RULES APPLY FOR THE WATER THAT APPLY ON THE ROAD. NO DRIVING UNDER THE INFLUENCE. LIFEJACKETS ARE REQUIRED FOR ANYONE WHO IS UNDER SEVEN YEARS OLD. AND AS FOR THOSE, POWELL BROTHERS WHO ARE OUT THERE COOKING CATFISH, WELL, HE SENT ME TO THE STORE. I CAME BACK WITH MY HOT SAUCE GUYS AND I CANNOT FIND THEM ANYWHERE. SO I JUST WANT SOME CATFISH. I JUST WANT TO KNOW WHERE IS THAT CATFISH? WELL, IF YOU FIND IT, YOU FIND THEM. LET ME KNOW. OKAY? RIGHT.

Keeping you safe: Boating safety tips heading into a busy Memorial Day Weekend

86% of drowning victims were not wearing a life jacket when they were in the water

Memorial Day weekend is almost here!For many, that means hopping on a boat.While some fun in the sun is to be expected, if you’re heading out onto a lake, you need to be safe as well.KMBC spoke with MSHP’s Sgt. Andy Bell to ask what some of the best tips are for staying safe while boating over the holiday. Bell says more than anything else, having a lifejacket is the most important. Coast Guard reports indicate that 86% of drowning victims were not wearing a life jacket. Life jackets should be checked for wear, and there must be a properly sized jacket readily available for everyone on the boat. In Missouri, children age seven and under must wear a life jacket at all times while on a boat. In addition, boats need to carry a throwable device to assist in water rescue.Having an emergency kit is essential too. The items needed during an inspection include batteries, a first aid kit, a tool kit, docking lines, bumpers and a fire extinguisher.Bell also wanted to remind boaters in Missouri and Kansas that the water will be cold this weekend. Even if you're a strong swimmer, boaters should consider having a life jacket anyway when they hop in at lakes across the region. It can be easy to overlook things in the excitement of the summer heat. "They're just ready to get that boat in the water and go. Simple safety equipment that they've probably overlooked because their boats been in storage for a year like a fire extinguisher," Bell said. "You need to have that. If it's a vessel that has a fueling system, like an inboard outboard type of boat that has to have a ventilation system, is that serviceable?"That's can be very dangerous.The MSHP spokesperson also emphasized how important it is to have someone watching when you go out for a swim, just in case. Boaters can expect to encounter significantly increased boating traffic across the holiday weekend. When on the water, boaters should be courteous, observe right-of-way rules and make sure to be careful when alcohol is involved.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. —

Memorial Day weekend is almost here!

For many, that means hopping on a boat.

While some fun in the sun is to be expected, if you’re heading out onto a lake, you need to be safe as well.

KMBC spoke with MSHP’s Sgt. Andy Bell to ask what some of the best tips are for staying safe while boating over the holiday.

Bell says more than anything else, having a lifejacket is the most important.

Coast Guard reports indicate that 86% of drowning victims were not wearing a life jacket. Life jackets should be checked for wear, and there must be a properly sized jacket readily available for everyone on the boat.

In Missouri, children age seven and under must wear a life jacket at all times while on a boat. In addition, boats need to carry a throwable device to assist in water rescue.

Having an emergency kit is essential too. The items needed during an inspection include batteries, a first aid kit, a tool kit, docking lines, bumpers and a fire extinguisher.

Bell also wanted to remind boaters in Missouri and Kansas that the water will be cold this weekend. Even if you're a strong swimmer, boaters should consider having a life jacket anyway when they hop in at lakes across the region.

It can be easy to overlook things in the excitement of the summer heat.

"They're just ready to get that boat in the water and go. Simple safety equipment that they've probably overlooked because their boats been in storage for a year like a fire extinguisher," Bell said. "You need to have that. If it's a vessel that has a fueling system, like an inboard outboard type of boat that has to have a ventilation system, is that serviceable?"

That's can be very dangerous.

The MSHP spokesperson also emphasized how important it is to have someone watching when you go out for a swim, just in case.

Boaters can expect to encounter significantly increased boating traffic across the holiday weekend. When on the water, boaters should be courteous, observe right-of-way rules and make sure to be careful when alcohol is involved.

Keeping you safe: Boating safety tips heading into a busy Memorial Day Weekend

86% of drowning victims were not wearing a life jacket when they were in the water

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