An Iowa DNR officer says it appears three fatal accidents in the last month, including two on Clear Lake, likely could have been prevented if boaters and personal watercraft operators were fully paying attention to their surroundings.
Captain Matt Bruner says keeping a safe distance and always checking in all directions is key. “Boating is really unique because we don’t have lines on the water like we do on the highways. We don’t have brakes on many boats, so boats can turn in front of other boats,” he says. “People may not be going in straight lines, maybe going different directions, and when you bring on the heat, the summer weather, it brings out boaters that may not have a ton of experience, it may bring out very experienced ones, and not everybody seems to be on the same page on these things.”
Bruner says that’s why following boating regulations on how far to stay apart from other boats, proper speeds and equipment are so important. “We need to give essentially a 50-foot gap between boats going over five miles per hour. So think of that, a typical boat, it can range anywhere from you know 16 feet up to you know 25 or 30, so it could be two or three boat distances between each other, and we need to maintain that buffer when boats are going over five miles an hour,” he says.
Bruner says distractions are a leading cause of watercraft accidents across the nation. He says the key is you just don’t look in front of you, you have to look in all directions. “Having that 360-degree continuous lookout is very important. If you’re unable to maintain that, the key is to lower your speed in those congested areas, right?” he says. Keeping it slow gives you reaction time and lets you process what’s around you. That continuous lookout is not just for the driver. Those passengers also can help out too and looking different directions and say ‘hey there’s a hazard up here in front of us’ or ‘hey this boat, it’s going this direction’. We just can’t predict what other boats are doing, so it’s so important to maintain that distance.”
Bruner says lifejackets are required on all boats and watercraft for every person riding. Those under 13 years old are required to wear their life jacket that is attached and clasped and closed when the boat is underway.
Iowa is the third safest state to boat. Iowa averages 2.7 fatalities per 100,000 registered boats, while the U.S. average is 5.5 fatalities per 100,000. Bruner says the two fatal crashes on Clear Lake within 26 days is an unprecedented anomaly.
