Expert Carrie Waible shows ‘Fox & Friends’ how affordable boating during the summer can be. Hundreds of lives are lost each year on U.S.
waterways due to recreational boating accidents that can be prevented, according to the U.S. Coast Guard.
Last summer, 564 deaths and 2,126 non-fatal injuries from boating accidents were reported, according to a May press release from the U.S. Coast Guard — with the highest number of deaths occurring in the summer months of July and August.
Alcohol was noted as the leading factor in those deaths, contributing to 17% of total fatalities. DRINKING ALCOHOL WEEKLY COULD BE CONNECTED TO 61 DIFFERENT DISEASES, STUDY FINDS Intoxication also played a role in 13% of all non-fatal boating injuries and property damage, which totaled $63 million in 2023. "That’s why I never go on a boat on a weekend in the summer," Mike from Long Island, New York, who did not want to share his last name, told Fox News Digital.
Hundreds of lives are lost each year on U.S. waterways due to recreational boating accidents that can be prevented, according to the U.
S. Coast Guard. (iStock) "I know more people will be on the water and likely drinking.
" He said that while spending time on the water with family and friends , he's witnessed boaters driving erratically and speeding with an alcoholic beverage in hand. Deadly consequences Just as with driving drunk on the road, boating under the influence is illegal and can have deadly consequences, water safety experts told.