A Delaware agency wants to make sure those hitting the open seas are safe this summer.

Wednesday, the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control  announced eight tips for water enthusiasts to follow.

The department’s Division of Fish and Wildlife joined Smyrna’s Citizens’ Hose Company to highlight recently installed buoyant life rings at DNREC’s Woodland Beach fishing pier and boat ramp.

DNREC Secretary Shawn Garvin said that having the familiar circular life preservers close at hand can save a life when someone is in the water and in trouble.

“Some of our fishing piers and boat ramps already have these life rings,” he said. “With the Citizens’ Hose Company and their stalwart member and longtime president, former State Senator Bruce Ennis, we now have these rings available at Woodland Beach.”

Here are the eight critical tips: 

1. Life Jackets for Children: State law requires children aged 12 and younger to wear life jackets while underway. It’s recommended for everyone on board to wear a life jacket. Those over 12 not wearing a life jacket must have one easily accessible and properly fitted on board.
2. Life Jackets for All: Encourage all passengers aged 13 and older to wear life jackets.
3. Slow No Wake Zones: Adhere to “Slow No Wake” areas to prevent accidents and damage.
4. Maintain Vigilance: Keep a watchful eye and maintain a safe distance from other vessels.
5. Navigation Lights: Ensure navigation lights are working during times of low visibility, such as rain and fog, and at night.
6. Safety Equipment: Carry a boating education card and required safety equipment appropriate for your vessel size, including a sound-producing device like a horn or whistle, a fire extinguisher, a Type IV throwable (such as a USCG-approved cushion or ring buoy), and navigation lights.
7. Canoes, Kayaks and Paddle Boards: These vessels require life jackets on board and a whistle or other sound-producing device. A flashlight is also required if operating during times of low visibility and after sunset.
8. Sober Operation: Alcohol use is a leading cause of fatal boating accidents. Always designate a sober operator to helm the boat.

There’s also a required boater safety course for individuals born on or after Jan. 1, 1978. 

The online course reviews navigation rules, boat parts, state boating laws, and required safety equipment. 

Boaters must carry proof of completion, as it serves as a driver’s license on the water.

Raised in Doylestown, Pennsylvania, Jarek earned a B.A. in journalism and a B.A. in political science from Temple University in 2021. After running CNN’s Michael Smerconish’s YouTube channel, Jarek became a reporter for the Bucks County Herald before joining Delaware LIVE News.

Post Views: 1

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) — The Delaware Valley is dealing with scorching temperatures during yet another heat wave this summer. 

One of the only spots to get some relief from the excessive heat was down the shore.

The beach at 12th Street in Ocean City looked more like a Saturday or Sunday. 

Joseph Ferrante and Cindy Galasso were sitting right by the water.

“The breeze makes all the difference in the world and hearing the ocean makes it feel cooler too,” said Ferrante.

“This weather is absolutely gorgeous here, today. It’s breathtaking,” said Galasso.

Ferrante and Galasso were just two of the many people who drove down the shore for the day on Tuesday to escape the brutal heat back home.

“It’s oppressive at home, I mean compared to here, there’s a nice breeze. And it’s fun to see little kids on the beach and just the sound of the ocean …. there’s nothing better,” said Donna Leeson.

The Ocean City Beach Patrol said lifeguards have seen more people recently on the beach midweek than normal, and with the ocean temperature hovering in the low 60s, it’s an easy way to cool down.

“You know you go in and then you actually get pretty chilly, so you have to come out to the beach and warm up,” said Lt. Kelly Catania of the Ocean City Beach Patrol.

“I’ve just been dipping in the ocean every couple minutes, juggling my soccer ball and every time I get hot I just like to go for a nice little dip,” said Brody Kaplan, who was on vacation with his family.

There was a big difference between how it felt on the boardwalk and the beach, and that’s why Galasso said she was staying put on the sand.

“The ocean breeze, the salt air, the sun, sand in between my toes, sun on my face …. this is my happy place,” Galasso said.

Lifeguards with the Ocean City Beach Patrol are in the stands from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. They say they want you to be safe, and remind everyone not to swim when the guards are off duty.

While many people escaped the heat by flocking to the shore, some Philadelphia business owners took a different approach.

Amid the high temperatures, outdoor-only restaurants are struggling. The oppressive heat is keeping many customers away.

For the last few days, Morgan’s Pier on Christopher Columbus Boulevard at Penn’s Landing has been emptier than usual, despite the restaurant being right on the Delaware River with beautiful views of the Ben Franklin Bridge. The restaurant has no indoor seating.

“We are on the water, so it is 10 degrees cooler,” Dana Canalichio, director of operations for FCM Hospitality, said. “Being an all-outdoor restaurant, obviously, you know, people are very hesitant to come down, to come out to outdoor restaurants because it is so hot.”

Business has been sluggish because of the heat wave. But for customers willing to brave the scorching temperatures, the restaurant is taking precautions to keep them safe.

“We have fans, we have misters. And then we set up water stations for all the guests so they can hydrate at their own leisure,” Canalichio said.

Employees are working shorter shifts to minimize exposure to the heat.

“Trying to keep staff motivated, that’s a little bit of a struggle,” Canalichio said. “You know, ’cause they’re also extremely hot and they have to be in the weather.”

At Walnut Garden in Rittenhouse Square — owned by the same company as Morgan’s Pier — the restaurant had to push back its opening from noon to 4 p.m. on Tuesday to avoid the hottest part of the day. The heat wave is also affecting other restaurants within the hospitality group.

“Liberty Garden, which is our newest location, located next to Liberty Bell, we did close for the day because there’s not a lot of shade down there and it’s extremely hot,” Canalichio said.

The restaurants are doing the best they can, Canalichio said, while hoping for relief.