| rdfs:comment
| - Boating is a skill, described in Basic Set, pp. 180-181. It has the specialties Large Powerboat, Motorboat, Sailboat, and Unpowered. GURPS Space, p. 224, adds the new specialty Hydrofoil.
- The number of people dying in boating accidents in Pennsylvania has risen in the past two years, 2013 and 2014. Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission patrolled local waterways Labor Day Weekend – generally one of the busiest and for many boaters, the season's last hurrah – and local water rescue teams were on alert. According to the commission, there have been 15 boating fatalities in 2014 so far and 17 occurred in 2013, exceeding the average of 13 deaths annually. “It has to do with weather, ice thaw out and spring,” said Ryan Walt, boating and watercraft safety manager for the commission.
|
| abstract
| - Boating is a skill, described in Basic Set, pp. 180-181. It has the specialties Large Powerboat, Motorboat, Sailboat, and Unpowered. GURPS Space, p. 224, adds the new specialty Hydrofoil.
- The number of people dying in boating accidents in Pennsylvania has risen in the past two years, 2013 and 2014. Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission patrolled local waterways Labor Day Weekend – generally one of the busiest and for many boaters, the season's last hurrah – and local water rescue teams were on alert. According to the commission, there have been 15 boating fatalities in 2014 so far and 17 occurred in 2013, exceeding the average of 13 deaths annually. “It has to do with weather, ice thaw out and spring,” said Ryan Walt, boating and watercraft safety manager for the commission. The most common cause of boating fatalities is capsizing and people falling overboard without wearing life jackets, according to Walt. Boaters can increase their odds of avoiding boat accidents by taking a boater safety course and knowing water conditions and hazards before leaving home. There were seven fatalities this spring from the beginning of the year to May 2014. “That was due to cold weather and high water,” Walt said.
* drowning of a Penn Hills man in the Allegheny River on July 13, 2014, in South Buffalo. Thomas Duane Uzmack was drunk when his personal watercraft overturned, spilling him into the river. Uzmack was wearing an improperly fastened life vest, which fell off when he fell into the river, according to Armstrong County Coroner Brian Myers.
* William Philips, 61, of McMurray drowned in the Youghiogheny River in Fayette County on May 26, 2014, after his kayak rolled over and he was unable to right it, according to state police in Belle Vernon.
* A New Castle woman drowned after her boat capsized in a private pond in Scott Township, Lawrence County, on April 22, 2014, Nancy Ellen List, 26, was fishing with her husband, Michael William List, 29, when their small aluminum boat capsized. Michael List told state police troopers the couple held onto the boat and tried to swim with it to shore, but his wife went under, police said. “We have a lot of navigable waterways and recreational boaters enjoy a lot of lakes, streams and rivers,” said Alvin Henderson Jr., chief of Allegheny County's Department of Emergency Services and the chairman for the Region 13 Swift Water Maritime Committee. “Each waterway presents its own dangers and intricacies on how you handle yourself on the water,” he said. Henderson recommends that everyone take a safe boater course and spend time with a seasoned boater just as one does when they learn to drive a car. All government officials associated with the water stress the importance of wearing a life jacket and wearing it properly. “You can be an Olympic swimmer and if you capsize and hit your head, your swimming abilities won't help you, but if you are wearing a PFD (personal flotation device), you are increasing the likelihood that you will survive,” Henderson said. Knowing the waterways, especially signs near the locks and dams on the region's three rivers is essential. The fixed crest dams are hard to see, and boats have gone over the dams in the past. “If you aren't paying attention to the warning buoys and signs, you could miss it,” said Jeff Hawk, spokesman for the Army Corps of Engineers in Pittsburgh. The Army Corps offers river maps and other information on area waterways on its website. “Ignorance kills more people than the water does,” he said. “If you are smart and prepared, you can mitigate most of the risks out there.” Mary Ann Thomas is a staff writer. Read more:
|
![[RDF Data]](/fct/images/sw-rdf-blue.png)