Boating Deaths, Safety, and Emergencies: Key Data and More

Everything you need to know about boating fatalities and mishaps

Co-authored by Travis Lund and Eric McClure

Last Updated: February 24, 2023 References

Most Fatal Boating Emergency

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Other Dangerous Emergencies

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Major Risk Factors

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What kind of boat is most dangerous?

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Staying Safe on the Water

Going out on the water is always dangerous, but it’s especially risky if you don’t know what those dangers actually are. Whether you’re new to boating and want to make sure you’re being safe or you’re simply curious about the data, you may want to know what the data says. In this article, we’ll walk through the most dangerous boating mistakes, cover the other common mishaps, and show you what you can do to keep you and your loved ones safe on the water.

Things You Should Know

People going overboard is the most common cause of fatalities involving small and large boats.
Alcohol, operator inexperience, and operator inattention are the biggest risk factors for boating incidents.
In 83% of boating deaths, the victim wasn’t wearing a life vest. Always keep a life jacket on when you’re on the water.

Section 1 of 5:

Most Fatal Boating Emergency

Someone going overboard is the most likely emergency to be fatal. The most likely cause of death on the water is drowning.^{[1]
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Research source} Around 53% of overboard fatalities occur when nobody notices someone has fallen off of the boat, so it’s extremely important to pay attention when you’re out on the water.^{[2]
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Trustworthy Source
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Main public health institute for the US, run by the Dept. of Health and Human Services
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- A small percentage of drowning accidents occur when people leave a boat voluntarily and can’t get back on. Always keep at least one person on the boat and don’t go swimming alone.
- Some drownings take place when a swimmer is struck by a propeller. Never get out of the boat when the motor is running, avoid boating near swimmers, and don’t sit at the back railing of a speedboat.
- People go overboard for all kinds of different reasons. Minor collisions can send someone into the water, or someone may fall off when the weather gets bad.
- The type of boat may contribute to the most common type fatal emergency (i.e. speedboat collisions are probably more dangerous than pontoon collisions), but it’s rather difficult to find data on that.

Section 2 of 5:

Other Dangerous Emergencies

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Collisions A collision is most likely to occur when operators aren’t paying attention, but they can also happen in crowded waterways where there are a lot of other recreational boats nearby. Collisions aren’t usually fatal unless someone gets knocked into the water, although they can be quite costly depending on how much damage you’re responsible for.^{[3]
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- Boating collisions led to over $67 million in property damage in 2021. If you’re responsible for a collision, you could be on the hook for a massive bill.^{[4]
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Capsizing When a boat overturns in the water, it is capsized. The biggest danger when a boat capsizes is that someone drowns, so always wear your life vest, take turns slowly, and don’t navigate your boat perpendicular to the to the direction of the waves. If you do capsize, stay with your boat unless you’re close enough to swim to the shore.^{[5]
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- Capsizing is a much larger risk with canoes and sailboats. Pontoons, speedboats, and other boats rarely flip over.
- If you’re kayaking, learn how to roll the kayak before you head out.
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Grounding Grounding, where your boat runs ashore or gets stuck on something, isn’t typically fatal unless you’re in a desolate area and you’re undersupplied. However, it is an emergency situation if your boat is immobile since you’re exposed to the elements and stuck in the water.^{[6]
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- The best way to avoid grounding is to maintain a reasonable speed and keep your wits about you when you’re operating a boat.
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Weather A storm can drag your boat out into unsafe waters, damage your boat, or drag you overboard. The radical waves that typically accompany a storm may also capsize your boat. Always check the weather report before you go out on the water and if you see storm clouds forming, head for the shore.^{[7]
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Section 3 of 5:

Major Risk Factors

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Alcohol is the leading factor in fatal recreational boating accidents. When it comes to mortality rates, alcohol is hands-down the #1 killer on the water. If you’re going to hang out on a boat, don’t have more than a drink or two—especially if you plan on swimming. Alcohol inhibits your ability to assess risk and control your impulses, both of which are extremely dangerous on the water.^{[8]
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- If you are going to drink, sip it slowly and limit yourself to 1 drink every hour. Have a glass of water in between each alcoholic beverage as well.
- Never drink if you’re operating the boat. The risks and penalties are massive; it’s just as dangerous as drunk driving.
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Operator inattention and inexperience are the biggest incident factor. If we ignore mortality rates, the biggest reason something goes wrong on the water with a recreational boat is the skipper. Either the boat’s operator doesn’t know what they’re doing, or they do and they just stop paying attention. This is why it’s so important to focus on what you’re doing if you’re driving a boat.^{[9]
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- If you’re new to boating, stay close to the shore, keep your life vest on at all time, and don’t do anything outside of your abilities as a captain.

Section 4 of 5:

What kind of boat is most dangerous?

Motorboats are the most dangerous, followed by jet skis. Since operator error is the biggest cause of things going wrong on the water, it makes sense that the fastest and hardest to drive boats are the riskiest. Motorboat operation tends to be the most dangerous, followed by jet skis.^{[10]
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- It’s likely that jet skis are high up there because you can rent them, so you end up with a lot of inexperienced operators on the water.
- If you take a motorized boat on the water, go slow. It can be tempting to let the engine rip—especially when nobody else is on the water—but that’s when accidents happen.
- As a rule of thumb, the bigger the boat is the safer it’ll be. Kayaks and canoes tend to be result in more boating incidents than big pontoons or yachts.^{[11]
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Section 5 of 5:

Staying Safe on the Water

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Always wear your life jacket. Do not get on a boat without a life jacket. You don’t necessarily have to wear it all the time if you’re not moving and the boat is stable, but access to a life jacket is key. Of all boating deaths in 2021, 83% were not wearing a life jacket. That’s high, but when you consider the fact that 81% of all boating deaths were drownings, it really demonstrates how important a life jacket is.^{[12]
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- Test your life jacket before getting on the boat to ensure that it fits and the clips lock in place correctly. Your life jacket should be comfortable, but fit snuggly.
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Keep alcohol on the shore when you go boating. You can have an absolute blast on a boat without the alcohol. If you have a choice between drinking on a boat and staying sober, skipping the alcohol is the best thing you can do to stay safe. The percentage of boating-related deaths involving alcohol is massive. Keep your wits about you on the water and don’t get intoxicated.^{[13]
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3
Check the weather before you go out. If you plan on going far off of the shore or exploring at all, you’ll need time to get back to the docks at the end of the day. Knowing that you won’t be ambushed by a crazy storm is pretty important. Look at the forecasts the day of your trip to make sure it’s safe. If there’s a chance of thunderstorms, don’t take the risk.^{[14]
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- Lightning isn’t the only risk when it storms. Inclement weather also tends to drive crazy waves and tide changes. If your boat can’t handle it, you could be swept out to sea or capsized.
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Bring a cell phone or marine radio with you. Having some way of contacting emergency services is key. If your boat gets grounded or you capsize, you’ll be stuck in the water with no way to signal help if you don’t have a way to contact folks on the shore. If you’ve got a radio or cell phone though, you can call the coast guard or police to let them know what’s going on.^{[15]
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Trustworthy Source
State of Michigan
Official website for the State of Michigan
Go to source}
- If your boat is over 65.5 feet (20.0 m) in length, you’re legally required to have a marine radio on board.^{[16]
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Stay close to the shore and go slow if you’re new. It really can’t be emphasized enough—do not bite off more than you can chew if you’re learning to boat. Take your time and don’t do anything you’re unfamiliar with in the water. Operator error is the #1 cause that something bad happens on a boat, so don’t risk your physical safety and financial wellbeing.^{[17]
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- Boating lessons are a huge benefit, especially if you’re operating a motorboat, sailboat, or jet ski.
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Compose a float plan if you’re boating long distances. A float plan is a detailed list of where you’re going, with whom, and when. Fill out a basic float plan and give it to a close friend or family member. Tell them that if you don’t return in time or go missing, to contact the Coast Guard and give them your float plan.^{[18]
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