For Immediate Release

Date: July 28, 2005

Personal Watercraft Operators Must Use Caution

A recent series of personal watercraft (PWC) accidents is highlighting the need for caution. A number of serious injuries and one fatality have occurred, prompting the warning from the Oregon State Marine Board (OSMB) and marine patrol officers.

“We are greatly concerned about the number of PWC accidents in recent weeks. Operating too fast and too close to other boats have played a role in most of these accidents,” says Paul Donheffner, director of the OSMB. “Operating and riding a PWC can be fun, but if you don’t take basic precautions, it can quickly turn into a tragedy.” Donheffner says PWC operators can avoid accidents by following some basic rules.

• Do not operate in excess of 10 mph when approaching within 100 feet of another motorized or sail vessel underway.

• All persons must wear a US Coast Guard-approved type I, II or III life jacket.

• If you are 45 years of age or younger, you are required to have an Oregon boater education card to operate a PWC and any motorized watercraft.

• Know your limitations.

A total of 651 citations were given throughout the state in 2004 to PWC operators. The majority of these citations were given for failure to carry a boater education card, followed by exceeding the speed limit and unsafe or reckless operation. Unsafe and reckless operations are defined as: operations that endanger or would likely endanger a person or property, such as operating a PWC too close to a canoe causing it to nearly capsize; and operating a boat carelessly in a willful disregard of others, such as a PWC pulling a skier through an area where swimmers are present in spite of the regulatory buoy markers.

Common injuries occur when a PWC collides either with another PWC, a boat or with fixed objects such as docks or tree stumps. Risk factors include inexperience, excessive speed and careless maneuvers by the operators. Operators unfamiliar with the watercraft seem to be at especially high risk. In most accidents involving a PWC the operator has fewer than 10 hours of operation experience. Operators who lend their PWC to family and friends must be sure the user understands how to properly operate the craft. Owners can be held responsible for how the people they lend their PWC to operate, according to the OSMB.

“Current models can reach speeds in excess of 65 mph. Imagine driving a car at these speeds and not having the ability to apply the brakes. As with any other watercraft, stopping a PWC is achieved only by cutting the throttle and by coasting; while coasting, no steering is possible on many PWC models,” says Bill Rydblom, law enforcement manager for OSMB. “Marine officers are being asked to increase vigilance regarding enforcement of PWCs operating at high speeds and in close proximity to other boats.”

People can safeguard themselves by taking a safety course designed for PWC operation or taking a boating safety course. These courses will increase the operator’s understanding of the rules of the waterway as well as safety issues that PWC operators encounter. A final note from Donheffner to PWC operators: “Remember to play safe while on the water.” For more information on these courses, visit OSMB’s web site at www.boatoregon.com.

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