Most of us have begun preparing our boats and digging the fishing poles along with the camping gear out of the storage room. Memorial Day weekend is just around the corner so it is time to take the boats out of storage and get ready to go swimming, fishing and pleasure cruising on Mississippi waterways. There are so many beautiful bayous, rivers, and lakes in Mississippi that it is a perfect place to spend Memorial Day weekend. If those out on the water become careless or mix alcohol and boating, it can mean serious boating accidents.
Most boating accidents that result in fatalities occur during daylight hours. The majority of fatal boating accidents also occur on warm, sunny days before 5 PM when the winds are light, and the water is calm. Boating accidents frequently are caused by capsizing or falling out of the boat, which is how most people are killed on the water in boating accidents.
What is Capsizing?
Capsizing is when the boat flips over on its side or turns all the way over. Many serious boating accidents also occur when someone stands up in a boat and loses their balance. This can result in a person falling in the water and drowning sometimes when hitting one’s head on the side or bottom of the boat, or the person may get seriously injured when entangled in the boat propellor. Capsize accidents or accidents where boaters are injured when slipping and falling into the water usually occurs on small watercrafts.
On March 21, 2011, a man died when he and his fishing buddy stood up at the same time in their 14 foot boat while fishing on the Mississippi River. The boat suddenly flipped throwing both men overboard, and only one of the men survived. Because this type of accident frequently occurs with fatal results, it is important to know what precautions to take to prevent tipping or falling out of a small boat. Sometime boats, especially small fishing or pleasure boats, will capsize so it is important that you and everyone on the boat know what to do if the boat does tip over, or someone does fall out of the boat into the water.
Here are some guidelines that can help you safely enjoy Mississippi waterways:
- Boat owners should not allow anyone to sit where there is no seat. It is important to ensure every passenger is sitting in a place on board that is a designed for occupants to sit. No one should sit on the front of the boat where no seats are placed or sit on top of the backs of the seats or motor cover. This disrupts the boat’s balance and center of gravity.
- Boats should not be overloaded with too much cargo or be loaded with more passengers than seats.
- All boat occupants should be sitting when the boat is moving. It is important to keep your center of gravity low and close to the water.
- It is always a bad idea to lean on the sides of a small boat. This will disrupt the boat’s balance.
- When moving across the water and turning a boat, the driver should make the turn wide and slow.
- Boat owners should never go out on rough water or just prior to a storm.
- When anchoring your boat, you should always anchor from the bow ( front of boat). You should never throw an anchor from the rear of the boat.
What If Your Boat Capsizes or You Fall Overboard
If you fall out of the boat and cannot get back in, you should stay with the boat if at all possible. A boat is easier to spot than someone floating in the water. You can signal for help using devices on the boat such as mirrors, distress signals and whistles.
If you did not have a life jacket on when you fell out of the boat, you should find one and put it on or at least hold onto it. You should also look around you and make sure everyone can be accounted for and that each person is wearing a life jacket.
If you fall into the water, you should try to get back onto the boat. If you are unable to do so, it is best to pull as much of your body out of the water as possible. A person who falls overboard and cannot get back into the boat should not tread water because it will result in you losing your body heat faster. It is advisable to simply hold onto the boat until help arrives.
What If the Boat Sinks?
If your boat sinks or gets away from you, the most important thing is not to panic. You should tighten your life vest securely and wait for help. If you don’t have a life vest, it is important to look around and see what is floating on the water, such as oars, coolers, and boat seats. You and your passengers should hold onto whatever is floating on the water and stay together in a group. If there is nothing at all to hold onto, you will have to tread water or float. If the water is very cold, try floating instead of treading to prevent hypothermia. All waterways are routinely patrolled so help should arrive soon.
The most important item for everyone to have on before entering the boat is a life jacket because getting back into a boat once it has flipped over is extremely difficult to do. This is why there are so many people killed this way each year. No one wants to be a tragic Memorial Day boating accident statistic. If you or someone you love is injured in a serious boating accident because of the negligence of a boat owner, boat operator or defective boat part, you may be entitled to damages for your injuries or the wrongful death of a loved one.
At Barrett Law, PLLC our law firm’s roots representing those who suffer injury or wrongful death at the hands of others throughout Mississippi extend back 75 years. We are committed to helping those who suffer personal injury in Lexington and throughout Mississippi obtain compensation for their injuries or loss of a loved one.
If you or a family member is injured in a boating accident, our experienced Mississippi personal injury lawyers can help so call us today at (662) 834-2376.