Appleton Mayor Jake Woodford proclaims Safe Boating Week in Appleton with the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary in Neenah, May 15, 2024. PC: Fox 11 Online
NEENAH, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) — Appleton is sailing into boating season with an emphasis on safety.
On Wednesday, Mayor Jake Woodford, in partnership with the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary in Neenah, proclaimed May 18-24, 2024, as Safe Boating Week in Appleton.
Safe Boating Week reminds boaters to wear lifejackets, avoid boating under the influence, be aware of weather and water conditions, stay in contact with someone on shore, use an engine cut-off device, and take boater education courses.
In conjunction, the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary will be offering a Boater’s Safety Course on Saturday, June 1 and Sunday, June 2 at the Appleton Police Department.
Mayor Woodford says incidents can happen quickly on the water and it’s important to be prepared.
“For those of us who grew up on the water and participating in water sports, sometimes we lose track of the things that keep us safe. We take for granted that we have everything we need when we go out on the water, when it starts to just feel like second nature and with boat safety, it’s really important to make sure that you’re actually keeping track of it and paying attention to whether you have a float plan in place, you have your necessary PFD’s (personal flotation device) that your boat is in good working order and safe working order and so we’re trying to raise some awareness about that,” he said.
Perry Kidder with the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary in Neenah, recommends downloading the U.S. Coast Guard app. He says it offers safety tips, how to implement a float plan and has an emergency assistance button.
You can even request a local vessel safety exam through the app.
“There’s a lot of other things we look for, for example, often times I’ll find a fire extinguisher, which is great, it’s in workable operation but it’s located down near the gasoline and the batteries, it should be as far away as possible from that, cause that’s normally where you’re going to have issues,” he explained.
According to a 2023 recreational safety report from the DNR, there was an average of 18.7 fatal boating incidents annually on Wisconsin waters from 2013-22.
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