By POLLY McMULLIN
Staff Writer
The long Fourth of July weekend — with Monday added on— is expected to be the busiest for boating this season at Raystown Lake.
“Historically, the Fourth of July is a busy time; campgrounds are expected to be at capacity level this weekend,” said park ranger Tara Lehman. The large number of people who use the lake for boating recreation and the campers who bring watercraft with them will cause the total to swell dramatically.
“It is supposed to be a beautiful weekend, so we are expecting lots of boats,” said Corey Britcher, waterways officer with the Fish and Boat Commission.
BoatU.S., the nation’s largest recreational boat owners association, predicts a significant spike in July 4th weekend waterway traffic because people are trying to make up for cooler weather in the spring and lost time on the water. Fuel prices may have had an impact on weekday boating patterns, but they will probably not be a factor on boating’s traditionally busiest weekend of the year.
Lehman said the rangers will patrol the waterways as an extra assistance to the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission officers due to the increased traffic. The recent boating accident at the lake that claimed the lives of three people is still fresh on people’s minds, but Lehman said it has been a number of years since a boat crash fatality has occurred. She called the recent crash an “isolated incident.”
Britcher said Raystown Lake has its share of accidents and he and his fellow officers are “out there to keep people safe.” He suggests people “pay attention, be aware of everything going on around you.” Operating a boat or personal water craft is more difficult than driving a car.
“There are no lanes and you must be aware — 360 degrees — what the other boats are doing,” Britcher said. “It’s a difficult sport. It takes a lot of attention.”
According to information provided by the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary, the leading cause of boating fatalities nationwide in 2003 was collision with another vessel. The second was collision with a fixed object, such as an embankment like the fatal crash that occurred in darkness on the lake last weekend. Capsizing, falls overboard and skier mishaps were also high on the list.
Last year, a man drowned in the Lake Raystown Resort area when he jumped in the water to retrieve a grill that had fallen from the boat. Britcher said that is technically a boating accident, although the boat wasn’t moving at the time. He also recalled the death of a hunter who fell from his boat and drowned in the lake some years ago.
For the size of Raystown Lake and the hundreds and thousands of people who visit it each year, the number of accidents is small, according to Britcher.
In 2003, there were 481 boat-related drownings nationwide with 416 of them involving no use of a personal flotation device.
The law enforcement officers will be paying special attention to boaters who may be “under the influence.” He said there are “no breaks” for those found to be impaired by alcohol. The number of BUI arrests is on the rise at Raystown Lake, he said. It is not illegal to operate a boat and drink alcohol, but “you must stay sober.”
Britcher explained that bright sun, hot air, bouncing along the water in a boat and not drinking adequate water to replace fluids can cause fatigue that is different from driving a long distance in an air conditioned vehicle.
Britcher said drinking alcohol instead of water will not replace the fluid lost when perspiring. Alcohol builds up in the system and can intoxicate quickly.
Personal watercraft owners/operators and anyone born on or after Jan. 1, 1982, and operates a boat of 25 hp or more must have certification from the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission. Operators must carry the certification card and jet ski or boat registration with them at all times during operation of the craft. Britcher said many PWC or young boat operators obtain their certification through the Internet. That has made it convenient, but also easy to cheat. Someone else who has passed the test can take it for the next person. Britcher “highly recommends the eight-hour proctor test” for anyone who wants to participate in the sport safely.
Britcher said personal water craft accidents used to make up about 48 percent of Fish and Boat Commission incidents. The number of crashes has dropped significantly, he said, since the education was made mandatory. Larry Irvin, who heads up the Coast Guard Auxiliary flotilla, Division 9, Raystown Lake, instructs boater safety courses at Raystown Lake. He said auxiliary will be patrolling the lake Saturday, Sunday and Monday with at least one boat on the water all three days. They are not a law enforcement agency, Irvin said, however, the volunteers will be assisting boaters by towing those who need it and giving directions.
He suggested boaters who don’t often go out at night should check their battery power to assure they won’t get stuck without navigational lights after watching the fireworks in the dark.
“They have the radio on all day, appliances or fans running, using power on the boat, and drain the battery,” Irvin said. “They should carry a battery-powered, handheld light of some type to give distress signals if they get stuck on the water in the dark.” For those who aren’t familiar with the lake at night, Irvin said it is better to get help than to try to go it alone.
