The area’s rivers, lakes, bays, inlets, creeks, ponds and streams are beautiful and provide residents with recreational opportunities of the first order. They also can be deadly. Four deaths and several non-fatal accidents on local waterways in the last few days prove just how dangerous they can be.
The four deaths in just a few days is unusual. Several area public safety and law enforcement officials, in fact, say they couldn’t recall such a toll in so short a span. The sad total, though, shouldn’t come as a total surprise. It’s the natural result of the increasing popularity of waterways here and across America — and the rising number of people who regularly boat, fish and swim in them.
As the number of people on the water increases, so do the chances for accidents. The Boating Division of the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency, responsible for keeping the state’s waterways safe, reported 19 fatal boating accidents that resulted in 22 deaths and 78 serious injuries in 2009. So far in 2010, the agency reports five deaths and 34 serious injuries. The latter numbers, unfortunately, likely will grow. Summer and early fall are the busiest time of the year on waterways. Consequently, they are the most dangerous.
The TWRA does not labor alone. Some sheriff’s offices and city law enforcement agencies work closely with the agency and provide their own water patrols. Even with such assistance, the TWRA’s 183 full-time and 49 part-time officers are hard-pressed to fulfill their mission. It’s not for lack of effort.
In 2009, TWRA officers inspected 81,867 vessels and issued 2,350 written citations and 1,447 warnings for violations. They arrested 144 individuals for boating under the influence of alcohol. The officers also assisted in 15 search-and-rescue missions.
The number of those boating recklessly or violating water safety regulations remains unacceptably high despite efforts to reduce it. Strict but fair law enforcement, mandated boater education and safety instruction are components of a comprehensive state plan to reduce drownings and other water-related deaths and accidents in the state. Compliance, though, remains a problem.
There is no guarantee that higher compliance with regulations and commonsensical rules about water safety would reduce the toll of deaths and injuries. It is likely, though, that declines would be noted. The lessons learned by those concerned with highway safety suggest that would be the case.
Strict enforcement of drunken driving rules and stringent seat-belt regulations have made the nation’s roads safer. A similar effort to enforce laws and promote safety on the water could be equally beneficial. If that proved to be the case, the beckoning rivers and lakes here and elsewhere in the state would be far safer than recent events suggest.