Anglers Face Boating Challenges

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With the July 4 weekend ahead, many anglers are looking forward longingly to a relaxing fishing trip on Montana’s waters. For most, boating safety probably isn’t on their minds.

“Many anglers will jump in a boat in a flash,” said Ron Jendro, Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks recreation program manager. “These same people will spend weeks preparing for a camping trip, but then take the risks and complexities of boating for granted.”

  Roughly one-third of all recreational fatalities occur while boaters are fishing, according to the Safe Boating Council. Open motorboats are involved in over 40 percent of the boating accidents in Montana. About 23 percent of Montana boating accidents involve personal watercraft and another 16 percent involve rafts and rowboats.

One of the most common mistakes FWP field wardens see anglers and others make is to stand up in a boat, for example to change seats.

Recently, near York Bridge on Hauser Lake north of Helena, two boaters were dumped into frigid water at dusk when one of them stood up in the 14-foot aluminum boat. Neither boater was wearing a life jacket. FWP warden Dave Loewen, who happened to be in the right place at the right time, rescued the boaters.

“Standing up is a definite invitation to capsize—stay low and near the center line of a small boat or canoe, which will capsize if the weight is not properly distributed,” Jendro said. Other stability problems occur when the boat is overloaded or gear is not secured. Capsizing accounts for about 30 percent of boating fatalities in the state.

About 48 percent of boating accidents in Montana are the result of collisions, mainly with other vessels or an object, most commonly due to weather, excessive speed, or lack of attention.

State and federal laws require that children under 12 years of age to wear personal floatation devices on all boats and mandate that adults have a PFD readily available at all times.

“Even with these laws, we still encounter situations where a boat capsizes or people are swept overboard without life jackets,” Jendro said. “In one recent incident on the Yellowstone River, an aluminum row boat capsized and three anglers aboard were swept into the river without life jackets. One of the men perished.”

  Even with a life jacket, Montana’s fast, cold water can be deadly.

Recently, a three year-old child from Ohio was rescued after the family’s canoe capsized on the Flathead River. The child wore a life jacket, but was swept a mile downstream. When rescuers got to him he was not breathing and had no pulse. Thanks to the extraordinary efforts of bystanders, rescue and hospital personnel the child survived.

  “Laws help to protect us, but the only real protection is to have good boating skills, respect for the water, and a firm commitment to safe boating practices,” Jendro said.