Boating rules to stay safe out on Montana's water

Spending time on the water is a great way to beat the summer heat, but these activities have led to injuries and fatalities in Montana this summer.

Summertime in Montana is water recreation time for many, whether it’s driving a boat or paddling a craft, people take to the water this time of year. Sadly, some of them are injured or die because they didn’t follow simple safety procedures.

“Unfortunately, this year here in Montana there have been several human fatalities in connection with water recreation. Some of those are boating accidents, some them have taken place on rivers, or with non-motorized watercraft, its been kind of a mix,” Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks spokesman Morgan Jacobsen said. “But one of the common problems that are involved with this are people just not wearing life jackets when they needed one.”

Jacobsen says the coloration between the type of craft you use to hit the water and injury or death is pretty clear.

“About 75% of human fatalities happen on something like a canoe, a kayak or a paddleboard because there’s a pretty good risk of you winding up in the water that way,” Jacobsen said. “That being said the majority of injuries happen with motorized watercraft.”

Jacobsen also notes that most, if not all, fatalities and injuries on Montana’s waterways are preventable by just following a couple simple tips.
 
“A couple of things that people can do to protect themselves are wear a lifejacket, you can take advantage of life jacket loaner equipment like this one. The other thing is not boating under the influence of alcohol. Alcohol and water recreation do not mix very well when it comes to human safety.”

The rules are simple: each watercraft must have an approved life jacket for every person aboard, and those 11 years old and younger, must wear a lifejacket at all times.