Wearing a Life Jacket is Still the Most Important Step
Boaters Can Take to Ensure Their Safety on the Water
Boating fatalities jumped 12.8 percent in 2011 and are now at the highest level since 1998, according to the U.S. Coast Guard's just released report 2011 Recreational Boating Statistics.
Last year, 533 of the 758 boating fatalities resulted from drowning, with 84 percent of the drowning victims not reported as wearing a life jacket. The Coast Guard is urging recreational boaters to make sure everyone on board wears their life jacket at all times on the water.