ER doctors share 5 common but serious mistakes people make on boats
Spending time on boats is a favorite summertime activity for many.
Anytime you're on a boat — whether it's on the ocean, lakes, rivers or ponds — it's important to take steps to ensure everyone remains safe. Thousands of Americans wind up in the emergency room every year with injuries or health issues related to boating.
According to statistics from the U.S. Coast Guard, there were over 4,000 boating accidents and over 600 boating fatalities in 2022.
Here are some of the most common health and safety mistakes people make while boating that land them in the hospital, and how to avoid them to stay safe.
Irresponsible operating
Many boating accidents occur as a result of the person operating the boat, according to experts.
When the operator or captain is inexperienced, distracted, reckless or underage, this presents opportunities for potentially fatal accidents, Dr. Eric Cioè-Peña, an emergency medicine physician at Northwell Health in New York, tells TODAY.com. These include collisions with other boats or structures, crashes related to speeding, weather-related accidents and capsizing.
"Boating is very different from driving. ... There's no roads, and there's complicated rules that many people don't necessarily have to be familiar with before they have the ability to go out," says Cioè-Peña.
"Boating accidents can be as severe as car accidents, except that you’ve got water and ... so in addition to the trauma of being physically in an accident, if you end up in the water, there's that added risk," Dr. Meghan Martin, a pediatric emergency medicine physician at Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital in St. Petersburg, Florida, tells TODAY.com. Injuries can range from cuts and bruises to propellor injuries and drownings, Martin adds.
It's important to be properly trained and understand how to navigate a boat in different weather situations, Cioè-Peña emphasizes. Operators should also be trained and follow all rules and safety precautions to keep everyone safe. “Realistically, we want an adult driving the boat because kids don’t always make the best decisions," Martin adds.
If you're unsure about the ability of the person operating the boat, it's best not to ride, the experts warn. “There’s a whole range of dumb things that people do on boats, and all of it is preventable,” Cioè-Peña says.
Mixing alcohol with boating
Alcohol is the leading known contributing factor in fatal boating accidents, according to the U.S. Coast Guard, and it accounted for 88 deaths, or 16% of boating fatalities in 2022.
Whether the person operating the boat is intoxicated or the passengers are intoxicated, alcohol and boating is a dangerous combination, the experts warn.
"We see so many things associated with drunken activity, (for example), navigating dangerously or falling and jumping off the boat while it’s moving or not wearing the life preserver," says Cioè-Peña.
Additionally, boozing while boating can increase the risk of dehydration. "Drinking on a boat in the sun is a horrible idea, especially if you’re drinking in excess,” says Cioè-Peña, adding that alcohol dehydrates the body even faster.
The person operating a boat should be sober, the experts note, and if passengers plan on drinking alcohol, they should make sure to bring plenty of water to hydrate and always wear a life jacket.
Not wearing a lifejacket
Lifejackets are like insurance. Even if you can swim, these flotation devices can keep you afloat and keep your head and mouth out of the water to prevent drowning, the experts note.
"It's not like pool water. Open water is moving, and the currents can be dangerous," says Martin. Additionally, there aren't seatbelts on boats, Cioè-Peña notes, which means people can be thrown around or overboard easily.
Citing estimates from the U.S. Coast Guard, Martin says about 80% of boating fatalities could be avoided by wearing a lifejacket.
Ideally, every person on board should be wearing a U.S. Coast Guard-approved personal flotation device, especially when the boat is moving, the experts note, and all children should be wearing a lifejacket at all times, says Martin. Although the exact laws regarding lifejackets and children vary by state, it's best to be safe, the experts warn. "If the boat is moving, you should also be sitting," says Martin.
"Even if your boat is not moving, there are still rogue waves that can hit and there are other boaters and things in the water that can be a problem, so kids should still have a life jacket on for safety," says Martin. If you know you can’t swim, always strap up in case.
Sunburns
Even if it feels breezy and cooler out on the water, you're still at risk for excess ultraviolet (UV) exposure from the sun's rays when boating. The experts warn that it's very common to see severe sunburns related to boating.
"The water acts kind of like a mirror and reflects all of those rays back on to the people in the boat, so being on the water can be even worse than on land, especially in the middle of the day," says Martin.
Cioè-Peña says he has seen severe second-degree sunburns and sun poisoning — which can cause flu-like symptoms and blistering of the skin — as a result of boating without proper sun protection. "Especially if you're on a smaller craft where you don't have as much protection (from the sun)," he adds.
Common situations where this happens is when people fall asleep on boats or they're sitting all day (often intoxicated) and don't reapply sunscreen, he adds. "We've seen people where their entire back has second-degree burns because they essentially baked out in the sun all day on the boat," Cioè-Peña notes.
Protecting your skin from UV exposure is crucial every time you're out on the water, even if it's cloudy, because the UV index can still be high. The experts recommend wearing a broad-spectrum sunscreen that’s at least SPF 30 and reapplying every two hours or after getting wet, as well as wearing protective clothing and hats when possible.
Dehydration
Dehydration is another common problem the experts see with boating. Often, people don't bring any or enough water on board, Cioè-Peña says — add in the sun, heat, motion sickness and alcohol to the equation, and people can quickly wind up seriously parched after a day on the water.
“There’s (often) not a lot of shade ... and any time you’re outside in the middle of the day, things are going to be worse," says Martin.
The experts recommend bringing plenty of bottled water and sports drinks to ensure everyone aboard stays hydrated, especially young children.
"You have to remember to bring onboard anything that you want to drink, because even if it's a larger craft, the water in the sinks is often not drinkable," says Cioè-Peña. If you experience sea sickness or motion sickness, which cause vomiting, it's probably wise to avoid boating if you can, or try over-the-counter motion sickness medicine.
This article was originally published on TODAY.com
