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A Fort Myers boat accident attorney said that the 2019 Recreational Boating Statistics report issued by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the U.S. Coast Guard Office of Auxiliary and Boating Safety said 4,168 accidents occurred involving 613 deaths, 2,559 injuries, and approximately $55 million dollars of damage to property as a result of recreational boating accidents in the United States.

• Compared to 2018, the number of accidents increased by 0.6%, the number of deaths decreased by 3.2%, and the number of injuries increased by 1.9%.
• Where the cause of death was known, 79% of fatal boating accident victims drowned. Of those drowning victims with reported life jacket usage, 86% were not wearing a life jacket.
• Where length was known, eight out of every ten boaters who drowned were using vessels less than 21 feet in length.
• Alcohol use is the leading known contributing factor in fatal boating accidents; where the primary cause was known, it was listed as the leading factor in 23% of deaths.
• Where instruction was known, 70% of deaths occurred on boats where the operator did not receive boating safety instruction. Only 20% percent of deaths occurred on vessels where the operator had received a nationally-approved boating safety education certificate.
• Where data was known, the most common vessel types involved in reported accidents were open motorboats (45%), personal watercraft (19%), and cabin motorboats (16%).
• Where data was known, the vessel types with the highest percentage of deaths were open.

In 2019, Florida reported 961,266 registered boats and 723 reportable accidents. Sixty-one percent of the reportable accidents occurred in 10 Florida counties. Collier County ranked 9 and Lee County ranked 4. The primary cause of the accidents was inattention leading to collisions.

“So many people get comfortable on the water because it’s not in the same type of setup as driving a vehicle,” said Lt. Seth Wagner of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, “where you’re having to maintain lanes and you have traffic lights and intersections. The danger is when a boat operator becomes too relaxed.”

Lt. Wagner further said, “There are a host of reasons a boater can become absent-minded at the helm. Texting while boating is one of them. They’ll get distracted by other electronics, be it cell phones, navigation parts, radio, other people in the boat that they’re talking to. Not realizing that your boat is still traveling along in the water, and if you’re not the one paying attention to where it’s pointed and where other people may be traveling and pointed toward you,” Wagner continued, “it usually ends up, one way or another, in an accident.”

“Should you or a loved one be injured in a boating accident because of the negligence of another, please contact our experienced Fort Myers boat accident attorneys after seeking medical attention. We are available to assist you 24/7, and there are no costs or attorney fees until we receive a monetary recovery for you,” said Attorney Randall Spivey of Spivey Law Firm, Personal Injury Attorneys, P.A.

Fort Myers Boat Accident Attorney Randall L. Spivey is a Board Certified Trial Attorney – the highest recognition for competence bestowed by the Florida Bar and a distinction earned by just one percent (1%) of Florida attorneys.  He has handled over 2,000 personal injury and wrongful death cases throughout Florida.  For a free and confidential consultation to discuss your legal rights, contact Spivey Law Firm, Personal Injury Attorneys, P.A., in Lee County at 239.337.7483 or toll-free at 1.888.477.4839, or by email to Randall@SpiveyLaw.com.  Visit SpiveyLaw.com for more information.  You can contact Spivey Law Firm, Personal Injury Attorneys, P.A.in Charlotte County at 941.764.7748 and in Collier County at 239.793.7748.