Be careful while boating

New Year's revelers warned to be careful while boating.

 

Three years ago on New Year's Eve, two Central Florida men launched a boat from a fish camp near Oviedo and were never seen alive again.

Two life jackets were found on their empty fishing boat. Their bodies were recovered from Lake Jesup.

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission is trying to prevent similar tragedies as another New Year rolls around.

More boaters than usual are expected on Central Florida lakes this holiday because New Year's Day falls on a Friday, creating a long weekend, and because of unseasonably warm weather, said Brian Rehwinkel, the commission's coordinator for boating safety.

"We do see a rise in the number of boating accidents during holidays," added Capt. Tom Shipp of the commission's boating and waterways section.
Life jackets are a simple way that boaters can improve their odds of staying safe, Shipp said. So is designating a sober operator if a day on the water is going to involve drinking alcohol.

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