Steps To Take After Being Involved In A Boating Accident

Owning a boat is a great way to get out and enjoy the great outdoors if you happen to have a love for the water. However, nothing is perfect, so it is a reality that you might get involved in a boating accident. If you happen to ever be involved in a boating accident, there are some important steps that you can do in order to pick up the pieces. If you purchase a boat and want to be sure that you are safe any time that you take your boat out, it's important to realize that you are taking your safety into your own hands, so do what you can to protect yourself.

Touch Base With the Authorities

First, you need to make sure that you can get in touch with the authorities. One of the best ways to do this is by having an emergency phone on your boat. This phone will allow you to get in touch with the maritime police and rescue squads that can locate and reach you in order to help you recover from the accident.

Take Inventory of Your Surroundings

Next, you should assess the boat as best as you can, to make sure that you are not in any glaring type of danger. For example, if there is a hole on your boat that you can fix to prevent leaks or any other kinds of damage, it's best that you fix what you can in order to stop the damages. This way, you will be in the best position to survive while waiting for help to arrive.

Safety and Health Check

You also must make sure that you take inventory of your personal health. Are you injured? Have you eaten? Do you have proper protection from the heat? These are some of the questions that you'll need to ask yourself to be sure that you're not leaving yourself open to perilous situations that are entirely avoidable. This is another reason why you should stock your boat with first aid kits and rations that will get you through any tough times.

Make Your Presence Known

Make yourself highly visible. Just in case you can't get in touch with the authorities, or if it is taking them a long time, you should make your boat visible to any travelers on the water or anyone overhead. They might be able to help you to safety and take care of you while you are waiting. This will also make it clear that you are stranded and in need of help. This way, they will not run into you or bypass you in their own travels.

Calm Down!

Finally, remain calm. Boat accidents happen all the time, so it's important that you not treat it as though it's the end of the world. You never know how long you will be stranded, so if you stay calm, you'll have a better chance to protect yourself and your health while waiting for relief.

When you follow these steps, you will have everything that you need to survive any kind of boat accident. You can post an action plan in your boat as a reminder, just in case you are faced with this kind of situation.

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This article was written by Thomas Jay from the Rue & Ziffra blogging team. Thomas is an avid boater who has lived in Florida for over 30 years.