NEW YORK—The Coast Guard, along with other federal, state and local agencies, will be conducting safety boardings on the Hudson River to ensure boaters have the equipment to stay safe on the water this summer.
The Coast Guard’s 2010 boating safety initiative is part of a concerted effort to minimize the loss of life, personal injury, property damage and environmental impact associated with the use of recreational boats.
Throughout the boating season, law enforcement teams will be boarding recreational boats and inspecting safety, navigation, mechanical and sanitation gear that is required by state and federal regulations.
“We are making efforts to ensure that all agencies on the Hudson River this summer do everything they can to ensure boaters are safe,” said Lt. j.g. David Ruhlig, Coast Guard Sector New York Enforcement Officer. “In the past five years, there have been three preventable boating-related deaths on the Hudson River. Our goal is to bring that number down to zero.”
The Coast Guard recommends boaters get a dockside inspection from the Coast Guard Auxiliary before going out on the water this summer. Getting an inspection helps new and experienced boaters ensure all required safety gear is onboard and is in good working condition.
- Find your local Auxiliary flotilla to get a free inspection by entering your zip code here.
- For specific information on state and federal boating laws please visit this Web site.
- To see an instructional video on required safety equipment, visit this link.
- To take a virtual safety inspection of a vessel, follow this link.
- The U.S. Coast Guard Boating Safety Resource Center.
