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Texas ranks number 2 in boating deaths, officials urge safety

May 19, 2018 kicks off National Boat Safety Week. According to the National Safe Boating Campaign, Texas ranks number two in boating deaths and number four in boating accidents.

AUSTIN — Texas Parks and Wildlife still searching for a woman who went missing after falling off a party barge on Lake Travis Saturday night.

Family and friends continue to search for a man who disappeared while swimming near a boat in lake Travis two weeks ago.

And last week, a boat on Lake Travis crashed into a sandbar, sending three to the hospital.

Cases like these are why officials at Texas Parks and Wildlife push for safety.

May 19, 2018 kicks off National Boat Safety Week. According to the National Safe Boating Campaign, out of all of the states, Texas ranks as second in boating deaths and fourth in boating accidents.

At his business Waterski Lake Austin, Chase Philip Randazzo offers water ski lessons, the Texas Parks and Wildlife Boat Safety Course and the only hands-on boat driving class in the Austin-area.

"Some people don't even know there's rules and regulations,” said Randazzo.

He said a “pre-float” check list is key.

"These are dangerous pieces of equipment. People lose their lives all the time, and you can lose your life like this,” said Randazzo.

According to Texas Parks and Wildlife, in 2017, there were 45 boating deaths on Texas waters. That's up 28 percent from the year before.

They also said there were 172 boating accidents and 83 boating related injuries.

"Once you get on the water you have to deal with mother nature, the weather and then human nature which is the additional people,” said Randazzo.

Randazzo said other drivers may not know what they're doing, or your own passengers may have had too much to drink.

"As they drink they get drunk three times quicker on the water,” said Randazzo.

Or that can at least be the feeling --- due to the motion, sun and wind.

Texas Parks and Wildlife game wardens said alcohol is the leading contributing factor in recreational boating deaths.

Randazzo reminds boaters to wear a life jacket, to stay at least 100 feet away from other boats and to turn off the boat engine whenever you stop to prevent carbon monoxide and propellor dangers.

"They do put out carbon monoxide, and when it's perfectly still like today, the carbon monoxide sits on the surface of the water, so if you're at the back of the boat at the surface of the water, its right at your inhale,” said Randazzo.

Right now, Texas law only requires people born after September 1993 to go through a boating education course. So anyone over 25 isn't required to do so.

Experts highly recommend a course, which you can take online. You can check out a few classes here.

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