LITTLE ROCK — Sales of canoes, kayaks and paddleboards have surged since 2020, with more Americans than ever taking to the water aboard a paddling craft. According to the U.S. Coast Guard, boating fatalities associated with padding craft have increased as well.
According to the USCG’s 2023 Boating Statistics, 304 injuries requiring medical attention were recorded last year from paddle craft operators, resulting in 189 fatalities. This accounted for nearly one-third of the total boating fatalities recorded during the year. Arkansas, however, bucked this trend, recording only two fatalities.
Sydney Grant, AGFC boating safety coordinator at the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission’s Hot Springs regional office, says boaters should still pay heed to the warning, especially as the summer sun drives many more users to Arkansas’s waterways.
“Motorboats still make up the vast majority of our accidents and fatalities here,” Grant said. “But we want everyone out there to make it home safely, and it really only takes a little extra effort to do so.”
