Playing it Safe

Some safety reminders with peak boating season just around the corner

• Playing it Safe
• Playing it Safe

Outdoors Writer

Late spring through summer is recognized as a window in time when water activities of all kinds tend to spike around lakes, rivers, beaches and swimming pools. As recreational boating goes, there may not be a busier time on Texas’ inland and coastal waters.

That’s all fun stuff, provided participants use their heads, be responsible and play it safe out there. It never hurts to play a little defense, too.

National water safety advocates always get ahead of the game in May by launching various awareness campaigns aimed at promoting safety around the water.

To wit: May is recognized as National Water Safety Month. Around since 2003, the campaign is run by the Pool and Hot Tub Alliance with support from the American Red Cross, National Drowning Prevention Alliance, National Recreation and Park Association, and World Waterpark Association.

The campaign is recognized by nearly two dozen states. Texas is among them.

On April 8, Governor Gregg Abbott signed a letter declaring Texas a staunch supporter of the meaningful water safety campaign.

“From swimming and boating to pools and water parks, our state is home to exceptional opportunities to enjoy a summer on the water,” Abbott wrote. “With so many activities to choose from we must keep water safety at top of mind.”

Another popular water safety campaign that kicks off later this month is National Safe Boating Week. It runs May 18-24, the week before what is sure to be another busy Memorial Day weekend on Texas waterways.

The National Safe Boating Council and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s National Weather Service have been partners in the safe boating promotion for 25 years now.

The NSBC is a Florida-based nonprofit headed up by executive director Peg Phillips.

Phillips’ message to boaters is all about safety: “This National Safe Boating Week, prepare for a great boating season by inspecting your boating safety gear and commit to providing comfortable life jackets for all your passengers to wear every time you go boating,” she said. “The best life jacket is the one you will wear. Whether you’re going fishing or just enjoying a ride on the boat, make sure you’re prepared for the adventure by wearing a life jacket and knowing how to use required safety gear.”

Weather Wise

Every boater is familiar with the National Weather Service. Or at least they should be. The NWS, along with local news outlets and Smart Phone weather apps provide boaters with the best possible information regarding current and future weather forecasts. Take advantage of it.

Always be sure to check out the current weather outlook for your area before heading out for a day on the water. If high winds, heavy fog or nasty thunderstorms are in the picture, it’s best to keep the boat on the trailer.

A Lesson on Lightning

Where there is thunder, there is always lightning. And a lightning bolt knows no boundaries.

Lightning has been known to strike objects as far away as 12 miles from the storm that produced it. Being outdoors when lightning is a possibility is risky business.

I’ve interviewed a couple of anglers over the years who were struck by lightning and lucky enough to live to tell about it.

In 1996, Toledo Bend fishing guide Stephen Johnston got popped while guiding a pair of off-duty firemen. I’ve told his story before. It is always worth retelling in the name of boating safety.

Johnston didn’t own cell phone at the time. Nor did weather apps exist. Television forecasters had predicted storms to move into the area around noon, so Johnston figured they would have a few hours to fish in morning.

The guide said the skies turned hazy about mid-morning and a light drizzle began to fall.

“There hadn’t been any lightning or thunder to speak of - nothing,” Johnston recalled. “Next thing I know I’m sitting on the front deck, straddling the trolling motor, facing to the back of the boat. I still had my fishing rod in my hand and I remember looking down at my hand. My index finger and thumb were glowing like the cap on an orange Magic Marker. I couldn’t feel my left arm or leg.”

Johnston said one of his clients dropped to the floor. The other was knocked out of the back seat and onto the rear deck.

Luckily, everyone survived. Johnston thinks the lightning hit his fishing rod and exited the boat through the transom-mounted transducer.

The electrical surge fried the boat’s wiring harness, fuse box and electronics. It also killed three bass his customers were holding in the livewell for photos later on.

“That day definitely changed my thinking about lightning,” Johnston said. “I used to be one of those who waited to hear that first clap of thunder before I got off the water, but that doesn’t work for me anymore. Nowadays, I’m able use my cell phone to keep close check on the weather. If bad weather is coming, I’m long gone before it gets there. We were lucky that day.”

Dangerous as it is, lightning doesn’t kill near as many people as you might think. NWS data shows lightning kills about 20 people each year in the United States, while injuring hundreds of others. Some survivors suffer lifelong neurological damage.

Between 2013-22, 19 people were killed by lightning in Texas, according to figures from the National Lightning Safety Council. Texas ranked second behind Florida (51) in lightning-related deaths during that time period.

Bottomline: Lightning is nothing to be messed with.

Wind Wary

Neither are big winds. High winds can turn a calm reservoir into a dangerous sea of tall rollers in a matter of minutes.

If the forecast calls for 15-20 m.p.h. winds, it’s a safe bet it will be ripping across unprotected water. The bigger the water body, the longer the fetch area for tall waves to build.

Getting caught in rough water in a boat can spell disaster, especially in a small boat. You can also get into trouble in a bigger boat, especially if the driver lacks experience. Operating a boat safely in rough water takes skill that can be only be learned from time on the water.

It might be smart to boat another day if high winds are in the weather forecast. Otherwise, adjust your launching and fishing locations to wind protected areas to avoid getting into a bind. This is especially true on large bodies of water.

Matt Williams is a freelance writer based in Nacogdoches. He can be reached by e-mail at mattwillwrite4u@yahoo.com.