2024 boating accident report shows continued issue of low life-jacket use among victims

Fifty-six boating accidents were reported to the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission in 2024. AGFC photo courtesy Sydney Grant.

HOT SPRINGS — According to the recently released 2024 Year-End Boating Accident Report compiled by the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission, life jacket wear continues to be one of the largest shortfalls among Arkansas boaters when it comes to enjoying the water safely.

Only 20 percent of the 207 individuals involved in boating accidents last year were wearing a life jacket at the time of the accident, and only one of the nine victims involved in boating fatalities recorded last year were wearing a life jacket.

This boat fell victim to the wrong drain hole being plugged before launch. AGFC photo courtesy Sydney Grant.

Sydney Grant, AGFC Boating Law Administrator, says that drownings account for the majority of fatalities every year on Arkansas waters, and in many cases, life jackets were available, but not worn.

“Arkansas game wardens and other rescue agency personnel have seen too many drownings where a life jacket was out but not worn,” Grant said. “It’s not a seat cushion or a piece of gear you just throw in the boat and forget about. It’s there to save your life so why wouldn’t you use it?”

According to Arkansas boating law, all vessels must have at least one properly fitting Coast Guard-approved life jacket for every person onboard.

Grant notes that children 12 and younger must wear a properly fitting life jacket the entire time they are on the water. The only exception to this is on houseboats and pontoon boats with adequate handrails that are not underway.

“Even those vessels require life jacket use by younger boaters when it is underway,” Grant said.

Grant says many boaters use the excuse that they know how to swim to avoid wearing a life jacket, but that reply rarely holds water.

“Swimming in a pool is much different than falling unprepared into the water fully clothed,” Grant said. “And many boating accidents result in injuries, which can compound any problems with swimming. Even climbing back on board a boat can be challenging for many people without help or a ladder attached to the gunwale. That life jacket gives you the help you need to stay afloat until help arrives after an accident.”

What caused the accidents in the first place?

“Operator inattention was the number one primary contributor to most of our boating accidents in 2024,” Grant said.

According to Grant, cell phone use on the water has increased, and it has been the cause in a rising number of accidents.

“It’s illegal to text and drive a car, but a lot of people don’t understand that it’s extremely dangerous on a boat, too,” Grant said. “It only takes a second for things to go wrong, and, unlike cars, boats don’t have brakes, so they take more room to stop or turn if you get in trouble.”

Other factors, such as operator inexperience, unseen water hazards and alcohol or drug use also played a role in many accidents, but inattention was by far the biggest primary cause of boating accidents last year.

Operator inattention was the leading primary cause for boating accidents in 2024. AGFC photo courtesy Sydney Grant.

Life jackets weren’t the only noticeable absence during boating accidents in 2024. Only 34 percent of the operators involved in boating accidents last year had taken any boating safety course.

“Again, it’s a requirement for some boaters, but not all,” Grant said. “Anyone born on or after Jan. 1, 1986, and of legal age to operate a motorboat is required to have passed an AGFC-approved Boater Education course and carry proof of the certification with them while on the water.

“Just like the life jackets, these courses are meant to save your life and the lives of others, it doesn’t take much effort to complete a boating safety course, and some insurance companies will even give you a lower rate if you have the certification.”

Grant also points out that many people involved in boating accidents were experienced boaters.

“The average age of fatality victims was 59,” Grant said. “And we had more operators with more than 100 hours of experience get involved in accidents than we did operators with less than 20 hours of experience.”

Visit www.agfc.com/boatered to read more about the 2024 Boating Accident Year-End Report and learn more about Boater Education in Arkansas.

Christmas gifts that could save a loved one’s life

BY Randy Zellers

LITTLE ROCK – A colleague once received a pair of jumper cables from his father-in-law for Christmas. The only response he could give was, “Thanks, I hope I never need them.” They may not have had the charm of a new set of golf clubs, but those jumper cables have bailed him out of more serious trouble than any sand wedge. Treestand safety harnesses and inflatable life jackets fall into that category of fairly unexciting gifts, but they may be the only things under the tree that could save your loved one’s life.

The most common hunting and boating fatalities each year include falling from a treestand and drowning after a boating accident. Every death is tragic, but losing a loved one in an accident that could have been avoided by simply wearing a piece of safety gear is even more painful.

According to the AGFC’s annual Hunter Incident Report for July 1, 2023-June 30, 2024,  14 of the 19 reported hunting accidents were the result of a fall from a treestand. According to the National Bowhunter Education Foundation, three in 10 hunters who use treestands will have an accident at some point in their hunting career. The proper use of safety equipment can prevent those eventualities from being fatal or life-changing accidents.

Everyone at the AGFC hopes you’ll never have to truly “use” a safety harness, but much like those trusty jumper cables, it’s something you should never be without. Some safety harnesses, particularly those supplied with treestands, can be a confusing mess of straps and buckles. But many aftermarket safety systems are easy to wear, have pockets for gear and other features to benefit the hunter while in the stand.

Take the time to learn how the harness fits and works at home and on the ground before trying to use it in the field. Label the shoulders with “right” and “left” marks if it helps you put it on straight, and learn how the system secures to the tree so you’re not left wearing an unattached harness in the field.

“Make sure you have contact with that tree from the time you leave the ground until you get back down at the end of the hunt,” said Joe Huggins, AGFC Hunter Education Coordinator. “That moment making the transition from ladder or climbing steps to the stand is one of the riskiest times in hunting; it’s also the moment when many hunters unfasten their harness from the climbing lifeline to a different tether and are not securely attached to the tree.”

Just like safety harnesses, life jackets are the most often neglected accessory when anglers and boaters are on the water.

According to the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission’s 2023 Year End Boating Accident Report, only 35 percent of boaters involved in accidents last year were wearing a life jacket. All nine victims of boating fatalities last year were not wearing a life jacket at the time of the accident.

By law, all children 12 and under must be wearing a U.S. Coast Guard-approved life jacket any time they are on a boat. The only exception to this is if the child is within the enclosed area of a houseboat or cruiser, or within the area enclosed by railings on a party barge, cruiser, or houseboat, and the vessel is not underway. For those above this age requirement, there must be a proper fitting U.S. Coast Guard-approved life jacket available and within easy reach for each person on board a boat on Arkansas waters.

When people think of life vests, images of those old bright-orange horse-collar vests may come to mind, but modern life jackets are built for comfort as well as safety. Inflatable life vests are hardly noticeable once you put them on, and most versions deploy automatically to inflate when submerged in water.

“If you’re buying an inflatable life jacket, spend the extra money for the ones that deploy automatically. They give you an added layer of protection over the ones you have to manually deploy, should you be in an accident that renders you unconscious and unable to do so. ” Sydney Grant, Boating Law Administrator for the AGFC, said.

Another thing to be sure of, according to Grant, is to read carefully about the life jacket’s intended purpose and ratings, and to make sure the personal flotation device you choose is U.S. Coast Guard approved.

“Inflatable life jackets are not allowed for use on personal watercraft like SeaDoos or Jetskis, and they’re not allowed for anyone being towed behind a boat,” Grant said. “There are also age, size and weight restrictions for each PFD and inflatable life jackets are often not intended for use with boaters under the age of 16.”

Adding a note to wear the vest when on the water might be a great addition to an accompanying Christmas card.

“It only works if you’re wearing it,” Grant said. “Unfortunately, many boating fatalities occurred with life jackets in the boat but the victim was not wearing it at the time of the accident. A little nudge from loved ones can go a long way to remind someone their safety is on your mind when they’re away.”

Duck hunters, too, should wear life jackets when on the water, and many well-designed float coats are available to add some insulation as well as flotation should a hunter take a tumble overboard.

“With tens of thousands of dollars spent on boats, electronics and other gear, safety equipment just isn’t something fun that some anglers and hunters want to spend money on, but you can tell someone you care about them and want them to return home from all their trips this season if you get these things for them,” Grant said.

Visit www.agfc.com/huntered for more information on hunting safety and to enroll in a Hunter Education course.

For more information on boating safety and to enroll in a Boater Education course, visit www.agfc.com/boatered.