Officials enforcing boating safety during Labor Day weekend in Florida
Officials with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and marine patrols for sheriff’s offices have been cruising the lakes and the coasts all weekend, the last big holiday weekend of summer.
They want to make sure boaters and personal watercraft users follow the law to keep themselves and others safe.
WESH 2 News caught up with Kenna Farrar, her son Kayden, and her boyfriend at the Tavares recreational park, getting ready for a day on the water, and they were glad to see officers patrolling, especially to curb speeding and careless boating.
“I haven’t really seen anything crazy, but I think it’s a great idea. I’m in law enforcement, so I support it,” Farrar said.
Farrar’s companion Michael Nicolosi added, “You know we’re going to go fish, go to the sandbar, and let him (Kayden) enjoy it. You know, somebody driving drunk, you know, is dangerous for him and us.”
Florida has more than a million registered vessels, more than any other state, and crashes each year kill dozens, injure hundreds, and cause more than $25 million in property damage.
Examples from this year alone are grim, even shocking. The captain of a boat in Fort Lauderdale last May smashed up docks and other vessels while trying to make an impossible U-turn.
In June, three people died when an airboat flipped as it was heading up the Kissimmee River.
In July, seven people were hurt but thankfully rescued in Martin County after their boat ran into rocks near the St. Lucie Inlet.
And in June, Grayson Henderson was charged with boating under the influence and causing a crash near Ed Stone Park in Volusia County in March 2025. His trial is next month.
FWC Officer Chad Weber says FWC has had a busy summer stopping and arresting those with blood alcohol levels above the legal limit, adding, “There is no open container law in the state of Florida on a boat, but the operator has to be below point-08. And the easiest thing to do is to just designate a sober operator. Because it is an arrestable offense if you are caught boating under the influence.”
According to statistics compiled by FWC, last year, Florida saw 694 boat crashes and 161 personal watercraft mishaps. The boat collisions led to 51 deaths and 437 injuries. For personal watercraft, 12 died, and 131 were hurt.
In just 10 central Florida counties, last year there were 87 boat crashes that resulted in 11 fatalities, 74 injuries, and nearly $1.7 million ($1,692,401) in property damage — an important reminder that boating is great family fun when done safely.