The safety story this data tells
Ranked by what actually goes wrong here
These are ordered by Suwannee River's own events and the circumstances that recur in its incident narratives, starting with the one the data says matters most. They map to what the Recademics Florida course teaches.
The strongest signal here
Give tournament mornings extra room
6% of the reports here (4 accidents, 7.0x the statewide rate) mention fishing tournaments. Launch and weigh-in runs pack the ramps and channels with fast boats at first light. Expect converging traffic and keep your speed sane in the low sun.
From the incident reports
Keep people in the boat
34% of the reports here (22 accidents, 1.5x the statewide rate) involve someone going overboard, being ejected, or falling inside the boat. Seat everyone below planing speed, kill the engine before anyone moves to the gunwale, and clip on the cut-off lanyard.
From the incident reports
Fly the dive flag and watch for swimmers
11% of the reports here (7 accidents, 3.1x the statewide rate) mention diving, snorkeling, or swimmers in the water. Post the dive flag, give any flagged area a wide berth at idle, and keep a spotter watching whenever people are overboard.
From the incident reports
Use a spotter for anyone you tow
8% of the reports here (5 accidents, 2.9x the statewide rate) involve tubing, skiing, or towing. Keep a second person watching the skier or tuber, keep the tow line clear of the prop, and circle back slow.
From the incident reports
Wear the life jacket
Drowning accounts for 3 of the deaths recorded here, and 100% of those victims were not wearing a life jacket. A life jacket only works worn. Florida requires every child under 6 to wear one on a vessel under 26 feet underway, and one wearable PFD for every person aboard.
