Fort Myers Beach sets the standard for boating safety

Author: U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary
Published: Updated:
FILE: U.S. Coast Guard response boat. (Credit: Wikipedia/FILE)
FILE: U.S. Coast Guard response boat. (Credit: Wikipedia/FILE)

If you have been out on the water lately you have probably noticed many different law enforcement vessels, from U.S. Coast Guard to the Lee County Sheriff. Each one of these agencies may board your boat and perform a safety inspection. During this inspection, they look for items such as enough life jackets, visual distress signals and more. The law changes depending upon the size and purpose of the vessel. The Coast Guard Auxiliary provides recreational boaters with preventative Vessel Safety Checks.

A Vessel Safety Check is a FREE service provided by the Coast Guard Auxiliary to area boaters to be certain their boat follows federal laws and state regulations.

Fort Myers Beach area boaters find this free service to be beneficial as it could prevent boat owners from being fined by local law enforcement while operating their boat on the water without the proper equipment. “We are able to educate boat owners on safe boating practices while checking their boat for potential problems,” stated Nick Kaveski, the Flotilla Commander. He went on to say, “The Auxiliary does not issue citations for violations, but rather provide recommendations and insight on how to stay out of trouble. Boats that comply receive a VSC Sticker to demonstrate their commitment to safe boating.”

According to Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission, the 2017 boating statistic report, Florida had 766 boating accidents, 61 of which were deadly. Accidents happen without warning however boater education may help reduce your risk.

The goal of the Coast Guard Auxiliary is to help reduce these numbers by providing safe boating classes, vessel safety checks and public outreach programs.

Boaters can request a free vessel safety check online at http://www.aux91fmb.org/vsc.cfm or by calling 239-690-6780 option 2.

The US Coast Guard Auxiliary is the lead agency protecting America’s seaward frontier in recreational boating safety. Our vessels and aircraft deploy across all the U.S. they aid or save countless boaters every year. Every day the auxiliary saves hundreds of thousands in property and saves countless lives.

The Coast Guard Auxiliary is the uniformed civilian component of the U.S. Coast Guard and supports the Coast Guard in nearly all mission areas. The Auxiliary was created by Congress in 1939. For more information, please visit www.cgaux.org.

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