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Babauta declares boating safety week
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Posted on Aug 20 2004
Avoid alcohol and always wear a life jacket while boating, said Gov. Juan N. Babauta yesterday as he signed the proclamation declaring Aug. 23 to 29 as CNMI Boating Safety Week.
“A life jacket worn while boating is just as important as a seat belt worn in a car—it can save your life,” he said.
A very dangerous practice among many boaters, he said, is consuming alcohol while piloting their vessels.
“Just as it is reckless to drive on the roads while intoxicated, it is even more dangerous to operate a boat while under the influence of alcohol,” he said.
Babauta said that statistics show that a great majority of deaths occurring in recreational boating have been alcohol-related. Between 700 to 800 people die each year on boating-related accidents in the CNMI, and nearly 70 percent of these are fatalities caused by drowning, he added.
“Human error or poor judgment causes the vast majority of these accidents. A significant number of boaters who lose their lives by drowning each would be alive today had they worn their life jackets,” he said in the proclamation.
“It is up to us to do our part to be ‘boat smart’ and keep our NMI waters safe for everyone,” he added.
Yesterday’s signing was attended by Department of Public Safety commissioner Ed Camacho, DPS spokesman and Boating Safety director Capt. Pete Muna, Boating Safety personnel, as well as attorney general Pamela Brown, and deputy attorney general Clyde Lemons Jr.
Right now, DPS Boating Safety uses three boats for rescue operations.
Camacho said two more boats will be made available to boost the team’s search and rescue operations.
“There’s more for Boating and Safety. It’s a priority,” said Camacho.
Including Muna, the Boating and Safety Division consists of six personnel. (Liberty Dones)
