ODNR BEGINS OPERATION OVERBOARD STATEWIDE CAMPAIGN
COLUMBUS, OH - The Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) this
month kicks off its "Operation Overboard" statewide public awareness
campaign to help reduce the likelihood of early season boating accidents.
The campaign emphasizes the dangers associated with improperly
loaded boats that easily become swamped and capsize in frigid waters.
"Properly loading your boat and properly wearing a life jacket are
the focus of the Operation Overboard awareness campaign," said Ken Alvey,
chief of the ODNR Division of Watercraft.
Early season boaters and anglers tend to dress according to air
temperatures, but often forget that water temperatures in Ohio's lakes and
streams remain in the 30s and 40s during March and April. Water
temperatures slowly increase during early spring following the melting of
winter ice and snow, which creates a significant risk of hypothermia when a
person falls into the water.
State watercraft officers and local marine patrols will be
conducting thousands of boat safety inspections at launch ramps around Ohio
this spring to advise boaters on boating safety with special attention to
loading conditions.
"We can't emphasize enough the importance of having increased
awareness about the risks associated with cold water boating this time of
year and the importance of wearing a life jacket," said Alvey.
Information regarding boating safety, tips for avoiding hypothermia,
and other boating programs is available at ohiodnr.com
Source: ODNR
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