This past week, the Coast Guard released the 2023 Recreational Boating Statistics report.
We want to highlight a few items this week and will share more throughout the summer months.
Most importantly, 2023 fatalities fell by 11.3 percent to 564 from 636 in 2022, while overall incidents decreased by 4.9 percent from 4,040 to 3,844. Non-fatal injuries also declined by 4.3 percent from 2,222 to 2,126.
Alcohol continued to be the leading known contributing factor in fatal boating accidents in 2023, accounting for 79 deaths, or 17 percent of total fatalities.
The data also shows that in 2023:

  • The fatality rate was 4.9 deaths per 100,000 registered recreational vessels, a 9.3 percent decrease from last year’s rate of 5.4 deaths per 100,000 registered recreational vessels. (In 1971, when the Safe Boating Act was first passed, the rate was 20.6 deaths per 100,000 registered recreational vessels.)
  • Property damage totaled $63 million.
  • Operator inattention, improper lookout, operator inexperience, excessive speed and machinery failure ranked as the top five primary contributing factors in accidents.
  • Deaths occurred predominantly on vessels operated by individuals who had not received boating safety instruction, accounting for 75 percent of fatalities. Open motorboats, personal watercraft and cabin motorboats were the vessel types most involved in reported incidents.
  • Drowning accounted for 75 percent of deaths, with 87 percent of those victims not wearing life jackets. The Coast Guard reminds boaters to wear serviceable, properly sized and correctly fastened life jackets.
  • In 2023, there was a slightly higher percentage of deaths attributed to canoes and kayaks compared to other vessel types.
    The full 2023 Recreational Boating Statistics report is available to the public at http://www.uscgboating.org. The report can be found under the “Statistics” menu selection and the “Accident Statistics” submenu selection.

Thanks to Sherrie, we will always remember safe boating is no accident!

If you would like to learn more about vessel safety checks, please contact Steve Hults, Staff Officer for Vessel Examinations at steve.hults@uscgaux.net.

Please contact us for more information about our safe boating classes or learning more about getting involved in the Auxiliary, check out our website at www.uscgaux.net follow us on FaceBook @ Apalachee Bay Flotilla 12 or contact our Flotilla Commander Phil Hill at pnkkhill2000@yahoo.com.

The Coast Guard Auxiliary is the uniformed civilian volunteer component of the U.S. Coast Guard and supports the Coast Guard in nearly all mission areas. The Auxiliary was created by Congress in 1939. For more information, please visit www.cgaux.org.