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According to the Sun Sentinel, a 24-year-old man was killed when the boat on which he was riding hit a concrete dock located along the Intracoastal Waterway. The incident occurred around 8 p.m. on a Saturday in late May, and two other passengers onboard the boat were hurt and taken to Broward Health Medical Center.

A spokeswoman for the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) said that the boat was traveling at a high rate of speed.

The Commission has noted that the authorities will perform a thorough investigation into the accident to determine who was operating the boat at the time of the incident and assess whether alcohol and/or speed were factors in the crash. The spokeswoman further stated that “there might have been two people operating the vessel.”

Boating Fatalities on the Rise Nationwide
The U.S. Coast Guard has released statistics that show approximately 581 (or one in seven) boat collisions that occurred in 2014 happened in Florida. 70 of those collisions were fatal and 12 were caused by boaters who were operating their vessels while under the influence of drugs and/or alcohol.

Each year, visitors and Floridians take advantage of the consistently nice weather to enjoy being on the waterways in boats and other types of vessels. However, the FWC wants everyone to stay as safe as possible and heed the rules and regulations of the waterways.

Be Mindful of Boating Laws
In Florida, there are rules and regulations with respect to the reckless operation of a vessel, boating under the influence and boating accidents in general, to name a few. For instance, under the rules, any individual who “operates a vessel with willful disregard for the safety of persons or property will be cited for reckless operation,” which is a first-degree misdemeanor.

Anyone who operates a vessel is expected to operate that vessel in a safe, prudent manner, paying particular attention to all posted restrictions, other boat traffic and other situations that might occur while on the water.

With respect to boating under the influence, the FWC notes that vessel operators who are found to be operating a vessel while they have a blood alcohol content of .08 percent or higher will be presumed to be under the influence. It is illegal, under state law, to operate a vessel while impaired by drugs and/or alcohol.

There is also a boater education law that applies to certain boaters. Florida’s boating safety education law became effective in October of 1996. The law currently requires any vessel operator 21 years of age or younger to take a state approved (and NASBLA-approved) boating safety course, provide proof of completion of the course to the FWC and carry their boating safety education ID card and picture ID with them while operating a vessel with at least 10-horsepower or more.

Boating safety education has been of great concern for many years at the local, state and national levels, and many lawmakers encourage everyone, regardless of age, to become sufficiently educated in the use of boats and other vessels in order to keep everyone as safe as possible on Florida waterways.

If you have been hurt or have lost a loved one in a boating accident, let Ft. Myers personal injury attorney Randall Spivey and his team help you seek justice. Call the Spivey Law Firm, Personal Injury Attorneys, P.A. as soon as possible to learn more about your rights under the law.