SOUTHWICK – Knowing the basics of boating can save lives. That’s the bottom line for Southwick Lake Management Director Richard Grannells.
Grannells said taking the Boating Basics Boat Massachusetts safety course, offered by the Massachusetts Environmental Police in conjunction with the town, is something every boater should experience.
“It’s really good because not only does the program provide information about the state statutes, it goes into federal and local regulations,” Grannells said.
The four-session course is being offered at Southwick Town Hall July 11, 12, 18, and 19 from 6:30-9:30 p.m. All four sessions are required to receive a certificate of completion. The free course is offered annually. However, Grannells said it is limited to the first 50 people and pre-registration is required.
According to the Environmental Police Department, the primary purpose of the course “is to foster safe boat operation through increased awareness of required safety equipment, safe boating practices and legal responsibilities.”
The course is offered to anyone age 12 and older and youth age 12-15 who successfully complete the course will be issued a Safety Certificate allowing them to operate a motorboat without adult supervision, as required by state law. This course will also satisfy the state requirements for personal watercraft users who are 16 or 17 years of age. All graduates will be issued a Safety Certificate.
Grannells said that Southwick has some more stringent bylaws governing lakes and boating and said there are some higher restrictions regarding age of boaters.
“Our bylaws were in place first,” Grannells said. “The state reduced the operating age, but the town opted not to follow that for safety reasons.”
Grannells said the course is popular among residents, which he believes is a good thing.
“It does spread the word about boating safety because once people learn something, they pass it along,” he said.
Grannells said he wishes Massachusetts would follow suit with the 30-or-so other states that make earning a certificate to operate a boat mandatory.
“Connecticut adopted that, but Massachusetts has not,” Grannells said.
While adults can operate a boat without completing a course like the Boat Massachusetts program, the state requires anyone ages 12-15 to have a course completion certificate to operate a boat without an adult.
Grannells said that there were three tragic deaths on Congamond Lakes last summer which could have been prevented with basic boating safety, such as wearing life vests.
“A personal flotation device, or life jacket, is the most important piece of safety equipment for any boater,” according to Aaron Gross, the director of the Massachusetts Environmental Police, the agency responsible for enforcing the laws related to boating safety. Director Gross went on to say in an official statement, “Over the last two years drowning was the number one cause of boating fatalities – and in those cases none of the victims wore life jackets.”
Far too often, incidents of drowning are connected to the lack of a proper life vest, and unfortunately these tragedies extend beyond just boating activities.
“There’s always a lot of activity around swimming,” says Steven Brewer, a state senator from Barre, who chairs the Senate Ways and Means Committee. Brewer has sponsored a piece of legislation known as Christian’s Law, which aims at increasing the use and availability of life vests at recreational youth camps. Christian’s Law stems from another drowning four years ago at a town-run camp in Sturbridge.
Derek Frechette, who lost his four-year-old son in the Sturbridge tragedy, is championing the new legislation. Senator Brewer’s family also understands the trauma associated with drowning.
“My parents also lost a four-year-old child many years ago,” Senator Brewer said during a phone interview. “It’s a pain that never goes away for the parents.”
Brewer referenced statistics from the CDC that cite drowning as the second leading cause of unintentional injury-related death for children from the ages of one to 14.
Christian’s Law went up for a vote in the Massachusetts State Senate on last November and passed with full bipartisan support, culminating in a 36-to-0 vote.
Frechette watched the vote take place live on the Internet.
“It was really nice to watch them all say ‘yea’,” he said.
Christian’s Law would help eliminate the breakdowns in communication between parents and camp officials, which Frechette believes contributed to the death of his son. The final section of Christian’s Law reads “No recreational camp for children shall refuse, decline or otherwise prohibit a parent, guardian or person with custody of a minor from providing a Coast Guard approved personal flotation device…to be used by the minor for the duration of the minor’s attendance at such camp.”
The wording stems from an assertion held by the Frechettes that the town camp did not allow Christian to wear his life vest on the day of the accident. The town has denied this assertion in the past but did not return a request for comment.
Mat Luebbers, a swimming expert and instructor, agrees with the use of life vests while teaching children to swim, especially in large groups.
“Unless the lesson is one-on-one, the chances of a non-swimmer slipping under the water are just about 100 percent. Until they learn how to do some basic survival swimming, having a life vest on keeps them much, much safer,” said Leubbers.
Frechette insists Christian always went in the water with his life vest, and he left holding his son’s vest on the day he drowned after being told by a councilor at the camp they weren’t allowed. The Frechettes realize it’s unlikely exact details of their son’s death will likely never come to light, but they hope Christian’s Law will help avoid future tragedies.
Luebbers put it simply, “Using a life jacket could prevent a worst case scenario, whether the swimmer is taking a swimming lesson or playing in the water.”
Whether you are swimming, boating, or water skiing, using the basics of safety while in the water could save lives.
To register for the boating safety course, visit http://www.mass.gov/dfwele/dle/courselist.html. To contact the Massachusetts Environmental Police Boat and Recreation Vehicle Safety Bureau by phone, call 508-564-4961.
Brian Lee contributed to this report.
