TAMPA BAY, Fla. — Coast Guard, Coast Guard Auxiliary and Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission officers teamed up with local law enforcement agencies to keep waterways safe during the 2013 Gasparilla Parade and Pirate Festival in the Port of Tampa, Saturday.
Officers provided educational information, conducted boating safety inspections and kept a look out for boaters operating under the influence of alcohol or drugs.
“Typically during Gasparilla there are a large number of boats within a confined space. To promote safety on the water, the Coast Guard recommends that only experienced boaters participate in the parade,” said Capt. Sheryl Dickinson, Captain of the Port.
Promoting and enforcing boating safety is a core role and mission for both the Coast Guard and the FWC’s Division of Law Enforcement.
“Boating is an activity many Tampa Bay area families enjoy during this celebration but it carries with it a serious responsibility to be safe,” said FWC Capt. Roger Young. “Carelessness, inattention and not following navigation rules are the primary causes of boating accidents.”
Coast Guard Sector St. Petersburg crewmembers invited the public and Coast Guard friends and family members to watch the parade from Sector’s Prevention Department at Davis Island. Coast Guard crewmembers, family and friends gathered and cheered during the parade as the festival passed by.
Coast Guard Sector St. Petersburg crewmembers and their friends and family cheer as the 2013 Gasparilla Parade and Pirate Festival passes by Sector St. Petersburg’s Prevention Department, at Davis Island, Fla., Saturday, Jan. 26, 2013. U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 2nd Class Michael De Nyse
Coast Guard Auxiliary crewmembers patrol the waterways during the 2013 Gasparilla Pirate Fest in the Port of Tampa, Fla., Saturday, Jan. 26, 2013. Auxiliary members looked out for boaters operating under the influence of alcohol or drugs. U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 2nd Michael De Nyse
Coast Guard, Coast Guard Auxiliary and Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission officers team up with local law enforcement agencies to keep waterways safe during the 2013 Gasparilla Pirate Fest in the Port of Tampa, Fla., Saturday, Jan. 26, 2013. U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 2nd Class Michael De Nyse
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